Nichya
by lyubov
Summary: AO Femslash, Alternate Universe: Sequel to Fear Is the Enemy. Alex and Olivia are truly no one's but each other's, and they vow to let nothing tear them apart. But how long can they keep their relationship from their parents?
1. Interrogated

_Title_: **Nichya (No One's)  
**_Pairing_: Alex/Olivia  
_Fandom_: Law and Order SVU  
_Rating_: G to NC-17, depending on the chapters  
_Disclaimer_: All characters are the property of Dick Wolf and NBC (except for the few I created).  
_Author's Notes_: Olivia's look is from first season SVU; Alex's look is without the bangs. Nichya is Russian for "No One's."

**Chapter 1: Interrogated**

Olivia felt her heart rate increase tenfold. "Um…wh-what do you mean, Mrs. Cabot?" she stammered.

"I think you know very well what I mean, Olivia. My daughter's behavior over the past few weeks has been very erratic and I think you know exactly why," Madeline responded, staring her down.

Olivia tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Cabot. I don't think I do."

"Don't lie to me, Olivia," she snapped coldly. She looked down briefly and shook her head. "Why Alex couldn't just come forward and tell me herself, I don't understand. I'm her mother for crying out loud."

"Tell you what?" Olivia asked nervously.

"Who she was involved with," Madeline answered, looking Olivia straight in the eye. "And in what sickening, absolutely perverted ways. My daughter is 15 years old, Olivia. I will not have her mind corrupted in such a despicable manner."

Olivia wanted to disappear into thin air. She started to cry. "Mrs. Cabot, we couldn't—"

"Couldn't what?" she interrupted. "Couldn't tell me that she's secretly engaging in activities inappropriate for her age? And to think you just let her without trying to stop her."

"I'm sorry," Olivia sobbed. "We didn't mean—"

"Who is he, Olivia?" Madeline interrupted again. "Who has my daughter been seeing that she must keep hidden away from her father and myself? Who is the good for nothing male degenerate that has taken away my daughter's innocence?"

Olivia's mouth clearly dropped open in shock. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. _I thought we were fucked_, she thought. "Mrs. Cabot, I've never actually seen her with this…guy. I don't know that much about him. She didn't even tell me his name. But I know she's in love."

Madeline scoffed. "In lust is more like it. I was rearranging her drawers when I came across some skimpy lingerie and sensual massage oils. And don't tell me she just had these things stored away for a rainy day."

_Shit_, Olivia thought. _I must've forgotten to take those oils back home_. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"If some grown man has deflowered my little girl…" Madeline began, her voice rising. She took a moment to compose herself. "I will have him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

"Mrs. Cabot…" Olivia began.

Madeline put her hand up to silence her. "I need to find out who he is, where he comes from, and what he's about. And you're going to help me."

Olivia's mouth dropped open. "What?"

Madeline continued, "Olivia, I don't like having to ask you to spy on my daughter, but this is very important to me. If you find out anything—any information at all—I want you to report to me immediately. Do you understand?"

"Mrs. Cabot, with all due respect, I'm not going—"

Madeline glared at her. "Yes you are. If you do not, I will no longer allow my daughter to associate with you."

"Ok," Olivia said in a small voice.

"Then it's settled. You are excused," Madeline informed her, turning her back to the door.

Olivia hurried out and ran upstairs. She burst into Alex's room and locked the door. "What's going on? Does she know?" Alex asked her in a panicked voice, regarding Olivia's tear-streaked face.

Olivia shook her head. "She doesn't know about us, but she knows you're having sex."

Alex's mouth dropped open and her eyes grew wide. "Oh my god, Liv! How does she know?"

Olivia sat down on the bed. "Well…she said she was rearranging your drawers when she came across lingerie and massage oils."

Alex put a hand to her mouth. "Oh god…"

"Bu the good news is that she thinks it's a guy. Possibly even an older one. When she started going off about your weird behavior and talking about how she wouldn't have you engaged in such perverted, disgusting activities, I thought for sure she was talking about us." Olivia wiped away a tear. "I was so scared, Alex. Then she asked who _he_ was…I'd never been more relieved in my life."

Alex wrapped her in a comforting hug. "It's ok, Liv. Everything will be ok."

"I sure hope so," Olivia replied, sniffling. "She totally gave me the third degree. I felt like I was a criminal being interrogated for withholding info from the cops!"

"What all did she say?" Alex asked, soothingly rubbing her back.

"She accused me of lying to her when I told her I didn't know what was going on with you. And she blamed me for not trying to stop you from being sexually active. At first I started apologizing but she interrupted me before I could say anything revealing about us."

Alex let out the breath she had been holding. "Good. So what did you tell her when she thought it was a guy?"

Olivia looked down. "I told her I'd never seen you with the guy, and I didn't know much about him. I said you didn't even tell me his name, but you were in love."

Alex gaped at Olivia in horror. She moved away from her on the bed. "Olivia, you what? You let her think I was fucking some guy? How could you?"

Olivia's facial expression mirrored Alex's. "How could I? Alex, I was trying to protect us! If she thinks you're fucking a guy, then that throws her off our trail!"

"Why didn't you just tell her you didn't know, Liv?"

Olivia reached for Alex's hand. Surprisingly, Alex didn't pull back. "Alex, I wanted to. I really did. But I couldn't because of the way I had reacted when she was demanding to know what was going on with you. I made it seem like I was guilty of knowing you were sneaking around in this secret relationship and having sex behind her back because like I said, I thought she was talking about us at first. I almost started to say that we couldn't tell her about us because we were afraid she'd split us up and that we didn't mean to upset her. But she interrupted me and interpreted it like I knew something was up and couldn't tell her because I'd be breaking your trust."

Alex sighed. "But still, Liv. Now she's gonna grill me about some nonexistent guy and I'm gonna have to lie to her!"

"Well…we could concoct some type of feasible story. You could tell her that you are in love with some guy but you've only slept with him once," Olivia suggested.

Alex looked off to the side and shook her head. "Liv…I think this will only make things worse."

Olivia turned her chin back toward her. "Baby, it's our only option to keep your mom from going on a witch hunt. Just make up a fake name, a fake age, and a fake description of him. But don't go over 18. She said that if she finds out you've been sleeping with a grown man, she'll have him prosecuted. We don't want the police involved in some false statutory mess."

Alex slapped her hand to her forehead. "God, Liv. This is such a mess. I don't know if I can go through with it."

Olivia took both Alex's hands into her own. "Sweetie, we're gonna have to. She told me to spy on you and come back to her and tell her everything. I told her I wasn't going to but she said if I didn't, she wouldn't let you associate with me anymore."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Great…so now you have to lie on me even more."

"Alex, I was scared! She could get a restraining order barring me from having any contact with you! We have to play along with this, sweetie. It's the best thing right now."

Alex stood up and started pacing back and forth across the room. "Mom can't stop me from seeing you. No matter what she does. There's no way she can keep us apart." She turned to face Olivia and crossed her arms over her chest. "So what's the game plan?"

Olivia sighed. "Well, we'll say the guy's name is…oh, I don't know, Mike. Tell her he lives about 45 minutes away and you met him at a party. You've been seeing him for a couple months and he's 17, but you were afraid to tell her about him because he's a high school dropout and hangs out with a bad crowd."

"And what are you gonna tell her?"

Olivia shrugged. "I can just say I saw you guys making out or something and he looked like the 'bad boy' type. I'll say he has black shaggy hair, wears leather and chains, has a motorcycle, and he plans on taking you for a ride on it one day."

Alex sat back down beside her. "I just hope this doesn't backfire on us."

Olivia rubbed her back. "Me too, sweetie. Me too."

Alex looked around her room. "I'm gonna have to find better hiding places for my things. I don't want my mom coming across anything else."

Olivia laughed for the first time since they'd gotten back to Alex's house. "Yeah. That might be a good idea." Giving Alex a teasing grin, she said, "I should've asked her which set of lingerie she found. I hope she didn't confiscate the little pink and black number from Victoria's Secret."

Alex hit her with a pillow. "Liv, this is serious." Still, she got off the bed and went over to examine her drawers. "Son of a bitch! It _is_ gone! So are the oils! Dammit, I was so excited when I got you those for Christmas!"

Olivia gave her a lopsided grin. "Hey well, at least we made good use of both the lingerie and the oils before she found them."

Alex rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Liv, you're incorrigible."

Olivia put her hands on her hips and said in her best imitation of Madeline's voice, "'If some grown man has deflowered my little girl, I'll have him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'"

Alex burst into giggles. "You're so silly."

Olivia smirked. "I was planning on doing a little deflowering before we went to bed, but your mom kinda killed the mood."

Alex shook her head again. "You're crazy, Liv. Let's just go to sleep."

Olivia stifled a yawn. "Yeah, I am kinda tired. But I'm sure I'm gonna have to sleep with one eye open so your mom doesn't try to kill me." Alex just laughed at her.

After they had changed into their pajamas and were settled in bed, Olivia asked, "Alex, are you mad at me?"

Alex stroked her arm. "Not anymore. I just wish there was an easier way to go about this."

"Me, too," Olivia agreed. "But things have a way of working themselves out."

"Yeah," Alex answered, snuggling deeper into her pillow. She closed her eyes and Olivia draped her arm across her and planted a kiss on her forehead.

After several minutes, Olivia asked, "Alex?"

"What?" Alex asked in a voice laden with sleep.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Liv."


	2. The Best Laid Plans

**Chapter 2: The Best Laid Plans**

"So how did the weekend sexcapades treat ya?" Elliot asked with a grin as he leaned back on the couch and folded his arms behind his head.

Olivia sat down in a recliner across from Elliot. "Very funny, Elliot. Just so you know, it wasn't all sex."

Elliot chuckled. "Right, right. But you had a good weekend, didn't you?"

Olivia smiled briefly. "Well…I had a great weekend until Alex's mom tore me a new one when we got back."

Elliot's eyes grew wide. "Wait…Mrs. Cabot found out about you two?"

Olivia shook her head. "No, at least not yet. She thinks Alex is fucking some guy and wants me to spy on her."

Elliot laughed. "Wow, Liv. That's rough."

Olivia glared at him. "This isn't fucking funny, Elliot. Now we both have to lie to her to keep her from finding out about us. And Alex was mad at me because I didn't tell her mom that she wasn't sleeping with any guy."

"Whoa, Liv. Chill. I just got this funny image in my head of you as some super spy or something. Is she still mad?"

Olivia relaxed her body a little. "No. Thank God. But she still isn't too comfortable with the idea of blatantly lying to her parents."

Elliot wrinkled his forehead. "Wait…so why does she think Alex was having sex anyway?"

Olivia folded her hands in her lap and looked down. "She found lingerie and massage oils in her drawer," she mumbled.

Elliot started laughing again but stopped abruptly when Olivia shot him another look of death. He cleared his throat. "So, um…yeah. Why didn't you just tell her you didn't know she had those things?"

"I did, El. But it wasn't that simple," Olivia replied.

"Why not?"

"Because I'd already made it seem as if I knew she was sneaking off having sex before she told me what she found."

Elliot leaned forward on the couch. "What? How the hell did that happen, Liv?"

Olivia sighed. "She was really raking me over the coals, El. The way she phrased everything made it seem like she knew about _our_ relationship at first. So I panicked and started apologizing. Luckily for us she kept interrupting me before I told her anything. But by the time she actually got around to asking who _he _was who took her virginity, I had already made it seem like I was guilty of aiding Alex in keeping stuff from her."

"So when she started pumping you for info on this phantom guy, what did you tell her?"

"That she was in love but I didn't know much about him. That's when she ordered me to find out. I told Al we had to go along with it and get our story straight."

Elliot shook his head. "Wow, Liv. This doesn't seem like a good idea."

Olivia frowned at him. "Well, do you have a better idea, genius?" she snapped.

Elliot sighed. "Liv, when you tell one lie, you have to keep lying. Sooner or later they're gonna catch up to you. I just don't want you and Alex to end over something so stupid."

Olivia folded her arms and scowled. "I don't either, El. This is why I proposed that we just make up some story about the guy so she won't find out about us. Her mom told me she wouldn't let Alex hang around me anymore unless I reported everything I found out about him."

"Well…why don't you try steering clear of her mom for awhile? You won't have to lie to her if you don't run into her."

"That won't work, El. Her mom and my mom have become pretty close. If Alex and I stop hanging out at her house, then Mrs. Cabot will just track me down through my mom. Hell, she might even decide to stop by and pay me a visit."

Elliot sighed. "Seems like you and Alex are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to this, Liv."

Olivia slouched in the recliner. "Yeah, I know. I hope after her mom gets what she wants from me, she'll leave us alone."

Elliot got up to pour her a glass of water. Olivia nodded her thanks and began sipping. After he had sat back down on the sofa, he said, "So enough about that. Tell me about the good part of your weekend."

A smile spread across Olivia's face. "Well, for starters, Alex's cabin is absolutely gorgeous. We slept on this huge waterbed—"

"You mean fucked all weekend on this huge waterbed," Elliot interrupted with a grin.

Olivia smirked. "Not all weekend. We actually cooked together, sat in front of the fireplace and cuddled, went snowmobiling…God, it was absolutely fantastic."

"Aw, Liv. That's great."

Olivia grinned. "Yeah. It was completely amazing. We didn't wanna come back."

Elliot chuckled. "I don't blame you. So school starts in two days. You gonna try out for any sports this semester?"

Olivia shrugged. "Well, I was thinking about swimming and diving. Or maybe softball. I know Casey is trying out for it. What about you?"

"Eh, I dunno. I told Kathy I was thinking about joining the wrestling team, but she's worried I'm gonna get hurt."

Olivia flexed her muscles. "I wish there was a girls' wrestling team. I think Alex would be pretty stoked if I was on it."

Elliot smirked. "Yeah, if it was mud wrestling."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "El, stop thinking with your pecker."

He grinned. "Hey, I think mud wrestling is hot."

Olivia smirked. "I bet. But hey, I am kinda excited about school starting back. Alex and I have three classes together _and_ we're in the same lunch."

"Really? What period?"

"4th. What lunch do you have?"

Elliot smiled. "4th, too. So does Kathy. Well, this should certainly be interesting."

Olivia grinned. "I know, right? It'll be like double dating every single day."

"Except you two will probably be making out the whole time."

Olivia shrugged and gave him a lopsided grin. "Not when the teachers are looking." She rolled her eyes. "Or when Alex is stuffing her face."

Elliot laughed. "How in the world does she eat so much and stay so skinny?"

Olivia grinned. "Well…we do a lot of activities to burn off those calories."

Elliot shook his head. "Oh boy."

Olivia stood up and stretched. "Well, I should be getting home. Tell Kathy I said hi."

Elliot got up to follow her out. "Ok. Talk to ya later, Liv. Good luck with the whole fake boyfriend melodrama."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we'll definitely need it. Later, El."

* * *

Olivia ran to answer the door. "Coming! Just hold your horses." She opened the door to see Alex and smiled. "Hey sweetie, I didn't know you were coming over."

Olivia stood before Alex in a tank top and drawstring pants, her hair slightly damp from her shower. Alex licked her lips before saying, "Serena dropped me off. I wanted to surprise you." She wrapped her arms around her waist. "But it looks like I was a little too late."

Olivia gave her a tender kiss on the lips. "You're right on time, babe." She suddenly looked over Alex's shoulder out the door.

Alex gave her a confused look. "What are you looking at?"

Olivia smiled. "I just had to make sure you were alone. Didn't know if your mom had the Gestapo with her and was just using you as bait."

Alex playfully pushed her shoulder and closed the door. "Liv, you're so silly."

They went to Olivia's room and sat down on her bed. "So how are things between you and your mom?" Olivia asked.

Alex shrugged. "Tense. I don't know why she hasn't brought the subject up yet. It's like she's just waiting to drop the anvil on me. When we were at the table this morning, she was giving me these death stares. It's like she's just waiting for me to ask her what's wrong so she can rip me apart."

Olivia groaned. "Ugh. I just wish this whole thing was over with."

"Yeah. Me, too. So when are you gonna start reporting about Mike?"

Olivia lay back against her pillows. "Eh, I dunno. Maybe next week. Don't wanna do it too fast or she'll know something is up."

Alex slumped against the pillows beside her. "Yeah. But I'm sure she'll have cracked by then. Even though I'm dreading the confrontation, I kinda wish she'd just go ahead and grill me. The sooner she does, the sooner we can get on with our lives and I can walk around the house without feeling like daggers are gonna start shooting out of the walls."

Olivia laughed. "Hey, at least school starts back soon. You get some time away from your parents. By the way, has your dad said anything?"

Alex shook her head. "Nope. I think he's waiting for her to make the first move. Then they'll probably tag team me."

Olivia draped her arm across her shoulders. "Don't worry, babe. I'll protect you." She flexed her muscles. "Even your dad isn't a match for these babies."

Alex gripped her biceps. "I love your muscles."

"They love you, too," Olivia replied, pulling Alex into her arms. "You know, school is gonna be so much more fun now that we have more classes together."

"I know, sweetie. I can't wait. I was so excited when we synced our schedules together like that."

"Me, too. Did you know El and Kathy are in our lunch?"

"Really? Things should be very interesting. I forgot to ask Serena what lunch she has."

Olivia started lazily tracing patterns on Alex's stomach with a finger. "How are she and Casey doing?"

"Really good," Alex responded with a quick nod. "I'm happy for them."

Olivia smiled. "Aw, they're in the puppy love stage."

"Liv, you act like we've been dating a year or something," Alex said, laughing.

"Well, sometimes it seems like a year. Maybe even longer. Sometimes I feel like I've known you forever."

Alex placed her hand on Olivia's face. "Aww," she cooed. "Olivia Benson the romantic."

Olivia grinned. "Hey, I guess you bring it out in me."

Alex smiled sweetly and patted her hand. "What time is your mom getting home?"

Olivia shrugged. "Oh, I dunno. Maybe in a couple hours. Is your mom home?"

"She wasn't when I left."

Olivia suddenly pounced on Alex. Looking down at her with a twinkle in her eye, she exclaimed, "Let's run away!"

Alex giggled. "Liv, we can't run away. School starts in two days."

Olivia gave Alex her best pout. "Pleaasssssssseeeeeeeeee."

"Oh, Liv. You and your puppy dog eyes." Alex decided to humor her a bit. "Ok, Liv. So where would we go?"

Olivia raised her eyes skyward and pretended to ponder. "Hmm…how about Hawaii? We can lay on the beach all day drinking daiquiris."

Alex burst out laughing. "Brilliant plan, Liv. We can pack our bags tonight."

Olivia laughed and rolled off Alex. "Oh god, your mom would kill me for kidnapping you."

"It's not kidnapping if you go willingly," Alex replied, cuddling up to Olivia and laying her head on her chest.

Olivia smiled down at her. "Would you really go away with me if things got rough?"

"Liv, I'd go to the moon with you if you asked me to."

A big grin crossed Olivia's face. She sighed happily. "I know that when our parents eventually find out about us, shit will probably hit the fan. But I want you to know that I will never abandon you again. Nothing and no one is gonna keep me from you."

Alex beamed with pride to hear Olivia make such a strong vow. "Same here," Alex promised, softly kissing her lips.

Just then, Alex's cell phone began ringing. Scrambling out of Olivia's arms to pick it up off the floor, she groaned when she saw it was her mother. "It's Mom," she told Olivia, taking a seat back on the bed.

Olivia groaned and rolled her eyes. "Speak of the devil," she muttered.

Alex smirked. "Yes, Mom?" she answered.

"Alexandra, where are you?" her mother demanded.

"Just out," Alex answered curtly.

"Are you with that boy?" her mother asked, her tone hardening.

Alex rolled her eyes. "No, Mom. I'm with Olivia."

Her mother breathed a slight sigh of relief on her end of the line. "Well, tell her to drive you back home. It's about time you and I had a talk."

Alex immediately became filled with dread. All the color drained from her face. "Ok," she replied, closing her phone.

Olivia saw Alex's expression and immediately became worried. "Alex, what's going on?"

Alex got off the bed and grabbed her coat and purse. "Mom wants you to bring me home. She said we need to talk."

Olivia swallowed the lump that had started to form in her throat. She wrapped her in a reassuring hug. "It'll be ok, sweetie. If you want, you can spend the night here, ok?"

Alex nodded and forced a smile before saying, "Ok. Come on, let's go before she sends out a search team." Olivia firmly gripped Alex's hand and led her out to her car.

When Olivia pulled up at the front of Alex's house, she let out a deep breath and said, "Good luck in there, sweetie. Call me when you're ready for me to pick you up, all right?"

"All right," Alex answered. She leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the lips before resting her head on her shoulder. Olivia held her tightly and stroked her hair. Sighing, Alex finally pulled back and said her goodbyes before opening the car door and walking into the house.


	3. Grounded

**Chapter 3: Grounded**

It was going on nine o'clock and Alex still hadn't called Olivia to pick her up. _Ugh, it's been hours. Why the hell hasn't she called me?_ Olivia wondered, more than a little worried. She could no longer fight temptation and decided that she'd just have to risk interrupting the Cabots in whatever torture they were exacting upon Alex.

Alex answered right before her voicemail picked up. "Hey."

"Hey, baby," Olivia said, trying to keep her worry from causing her voice to tremble. "I was worried out of my mind cuz you hadn't called me yet. How'd it go?"

Alex groaned. "Badly. Very badly. I didn't call because I'm grounded. I'm not even supposed to be on the phone after eight."

Olivia gasped. "Grounded? Sweetie, I'm sorry. What happened?"

"Well, Liv, thanks to your brilliant plan of lying about 'Mike,' my parents have grounded me for two weeks so I can no longer sneak off to see him. And I had to actually act like I was crying because I'm forbidden to have anymore contact with Mike. In reality I was crying because I'll be stuck in this room for an eternity for something I didn't even do, and they confiscated all my credit cards in case I decide to 'sneak out.' Ugh, and I'd planned to go shopping tomorrow. I'm lucky they showed me a little mercy and let me keep my cell. I told you this was a bad idea."

Olivia immediately took offense that Alex was blaming her for being grounded. "Well, Alex, being grounded is better than me going to jail for violating a restraining order because your mom found out we were dating and forbade me to see you," she snapped.

"Yeah, Liv. And now the only time we'll be able to see each other is at school. Daddy said I better come straight home everyday and I can't have any company."

"Well, Alex, you shouldn't be so ungrateful. At least we can still talk on the phone. And there's always IM."

"That's easy for you to say, Liv. You can go wherever you damn well please," Alex countered.

"Don't take this out on me, Alex. I was looking out for us, not for your credit cards."

Alex rolled her eyes. "What the fuck ever, Liv. Oh, but that's not the worst part. Mom humiliated me by making me take a pregnancy test and she said 'just to be safe,' she's taking me to the gynecologist tomorrow and letting her examine me. _And_ she said she's putting me on birth control. Birth control, Liv."

Olivia was clearly shocked. She hadn't expected this to happen. She quickly tried to think of a solution. "Well…just flush the pills down the toilet, sweetie. Or give them away."

"Not so simple, Liv. What if I have to wear a patch? Or if they're pills, what if she monitors me to make sure I take them?"

"I dunno, Al. We'll think of something. But if she's told you you can no longer see Mike, then why is she going to all this trouble?"

"Because neither of my parents trust me anymore. Daddy seems to think I'm some slut and if it isn't Mike, I'll just go out and have sex with someone else. He said it was a disgrace that his little girl was behaving like a 'common whore.' And Mom told me I better not try to sneak off to see him and to break it off with him immediately. She said that if I don't, she'll find out about it. I guess this is where Olivia the spy comes in," Alex said bitterly.

"Alex…arguing about this isn't gonna get us anywhere. There has to be a rational way out of this."

"Well, I sure hope one of us has some sort of epiphany soon because otherwise, I'm fucked."

Olivia clenched her jaw. "Alex, it's not like I get to benefit from you being grounded. This hurts me, too. Do you think I'm overjoyed because I won't get to spend every free moment with you?"

Alex sighed. "Sorry, Liv. I'm just really pissed off. I know you only had the best intentions in mind."

"And I'm sorry you're grounded and have to be probed and prodded tomorrow. I just…I just wish I could see you tonight. I was really looking forward to you coming over again."

"I know, Liv. Me, too," Alex sighed. There was a slight pause on the line.

Olivia smiled at the thoughts that had started forming in her mind. "Maybe I can lighten the mood a little."

Alex smiled for the first time since Olivia had called. "How?"

"Well…that depends. What are you wearing?"

Alex looked down. "Just my satin pajamas."

"What color?"

"Light blue."

"And what color panties?" Olivia continued.

Alex grinned. "Commando."

Olivia bit her lip and began to slide her hand down into her underwear. "Mmm…that sounds nice."

"What are you wearing?" Alex asked flirtatiously.

"White undies and that little navy tank you saw me in earlier. But not for long."

Alex unbuttoned her top. "I like the sound of that," she said, slipping her own hand into her pajama bottoms.

Olivia licked her lips. "Alex…baby, I'm wet."

"Mmm…me too," Alex responded.

"My nipples are so hard for you, sweetie," Olivia said, closing her eyes. "Tell me what you'd like to do to me."

"Well…first I'd—" All of a sudden, Alex heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "Shit, Liv. Someone's coming. Gotta go. Love ya," she said hurriedly, closing her phone and putting it on her nightstand. She quickly buttoned her top.

Olivia groaned and looked at her display to see "Call Ended." _God, her mom sure knows how to interrupt at the most inopportune times._ She closed her phone and reached for a tissue to wipe her hand before turning on the tv. Flipping through the channels, she leaned back against her pillows and sighed. _Tonight is gonna be one hell of a long night_, Olivia thought dejectedly.

* * *

Alex heard a knock at her door. "Come in," she shouted from her bed.

The door opened to reveal her father. "Hey princess," he said with a smile.

Alex forced a smile. "Hey Daddy."

"How ya holdin' up?" he asked, taking a seat on her bed.

"Ok," Alex said quietly.

Mr. Cabot looked down briefly before speaking. "Listen, sweetie. I'm sorry about the things I said earlier. I let my anger cloud my judgment."

Alex sighed. "You were just doing your job as a concerned parent," she responded, her voice flat.

Her father patted her knee. "I just want you to know that your mother and I may not always agree with your decisions, but no matter what you do, we will always still love you."

Alex smiled and gave her father a hug. "Thanks."

He returned the hug and then stood up. "Well, I'll let you catch some shuteye. I know being grounded won't be fun, but I'm sure these two weeks will fly by. Just keep yourself occupied."

"I'll try," Alex said. "I don't know how exciting this house or school can be, but I have a great imagination."

Her father chuckled. "That's the spirit, sweetie. Good night." He closed the door softly but suddenly opened it again and peeked his head back in. "You hang in there, ok?"

"Ok, Daddy. Night," Alex said, turning out her light. She reached for her picture of Olivia on her nightstand and hugged it to her chest. _How I wish you were holding me right now_, she thought with a sigh.


	4. Rendezvous

**Chapter 4: Rendezvous**

"Hey, Liv," Alex said into the phone. "What's up?"

"Oh, not much," Olivia responded with a grin on her face. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

Alex smiled. "Aw, that's sweet, Liv. What are you doing?"

Olivia giggled. "Guess."

Alex shook her head. She knew Olivia was up to no good. "Oh boy. Do I even wanna?"

Olivia grinned. "Trust me, Alex. When you find out what I'm doing you're gonna be pleasantly surprised."

Alex smiled and decided to go along with Olivia's little game. "Ok, Liv. Let me see…you're lying in bed touching yourself?"

"Not quite."

"Well, are you fully clothed?"

"For now," Olivia replied slyly.

"Well…are you lying in bed at all?"

"No…not yet. But I'll give you a hint. I'm standing up talking to the most beautiful girl in the world. But that's not all I'm doing."

Alex smiled. "Are you at home?"

"Nope."

"In a store?"

"Nope."

"At Elliot's?" Alex continued.

"Nope. I'm a lot closer to you than that."

Alex twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "Oh really? How close?"

"Come to your window."

Alex gasped and jumped out of her bed. She ran over to her window to find Olivia standing underneath it. "Liv, you called me from outside my window?" Alex asked, looking down at Olivia smiling up at her.

"Yep. I wanted to surprise you."

Alex shook her head. "Liv, you are insane. I can't believe you came over here."

"Well sweetie, I had to see you. I missed you."

Alex put her hand up against the glass. "Aww, Liv. I missed you, too."

"Well, aren't you gonna come down to see me?"

"Liv…you know I can't. If my parents catch me, I'll be grounded until I graduate."

"But…but the pokies miss you. They wanted to come cheer you up."

Alex rolled her eyes and smiled. "Liv…come on."

Olivia pulled up her shirt to reveal her bare breasts. Alex put a hand over her mouth. Even from her window upstairs, she could clearly see Olivia's nipples hardening. "See, Al. They're excited to see you! They're coming out to say hi."

Alex opened her window. Olivia grinned even more. "Liv, pull your shirt down!"

Olivia shook her head. "I'm gonna stand out here flashing you all night until you come down to see me."

Alex giggled. "Ok, ok, Liv. I'm coming down," she said, closing her phone. Olivia smiled and finally pulled her top down.

Alex tiptoed downstairs, punched in the security code to disarm the alarm system, and snuck out the back door. She ran into Olivia's arms and held on tight, deeply inhaling the rich scent of the leather jacket she'd gotten her for Christmas. "Liv, I'm so glad you came!" she exclaimed.

Olivia closed her eyes and rubbed her back. "Well, I haven't come yet," she whispered in her ear.

Alex pulled back and playfully pinched her arm. "Liv!" She slipped her hands under her shirt and fingered her nipples. "The pokies must be cold."

Olivia shrugged. "Well, we've been waiting out in the cold for about 15 minutes."

Alex smiled and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Even in the cold, Olivia's lips were as soft and as warm as ever. After several moments, Alex pulled back and brushed Olivia's hair behind her ears. "Thank you for coming."

"It was my pleasure. Thank you for coming down. How did things go today?"

Alex shrugged a shoulder. "Eh, I got through it. Ugh, it was so embarrassing, though. I thought she'd never finish."

"So how's our little bun doing in the oven?" Olivia teased, rubbing her hand over Alex's stomach.

Alex rolled her eyes and pushed Olivia's hand away. "Knock it off, Liv."

Olivia giggled. "Just teasing, sweetie. Did she give you the pills or the patch?"

"Pills. And she gave me all these pamphlets on reproductive health."

Olivia stroked her face. "Well, the good thing about it is that it's all over. I just wish I could've been there to hold your hand. I know you were scared."

Alex beamed at Olivia's sweet sentiments. "A little," she admitted. "But I just thought about you the whole time and how soon it would all be over."

Olivia smiled. "Good. Come on, let's start walking before we freeze to death."

They held hands and started walking toward the garden. The fog swirling around their feet added an almost ethereal element to their romantic rendezvous. "So what do you wanna do for your birthday, Liv?" Alex asked her.

Olivia squeezed her hand and smiled at her. "It doesn't matter. As long as I'm with you," she replied. Alex smiled happily in return and looked down to kick a pebble out of her path. Olivia watched it as it skittered across the cobblestone walkway. They continued walking hand in hand for a few seconds until realization suddenly dawned on them.

They both turned to look at each other. "Oh shit!" Alex exclaimed. "I'll still be—"

"Grounded," Olivia finished for her.

Alex started to panic. "Oh my god, Liv! We have to think of a way outta this! I can't still be grounded on your birthday!"

"Shit…I didn't even think about that before! I guess so much was going on…man, this is fucked up," Olivia responded, shaking her head in disbelief.

Alex took a deep breath. "Ok…maybe I can work something out with my parents. I'll go to Mom first and ask her and if she says no, then I'll ask Dad. They'll have to say yes. I mean…I go off punishment the day after your birthday! Maybe they'll let me off early or at least add on another day so I can spend your birthday with you."

Olivia looked like she was about to cry. "If I don't get to spend my birthday with you, it will be the shittiest day ever."

Alex wrapped her in a hug. "Don't worry, Liv. We'll think of something. I'm sure my parents will understand. If they refuse, I'll just sneak out. And even if they found out, it would be totally worth any punishment they'd give me."

Olivia shook her head. "Alex, as much as it would suck to not get to spend all my birthday with you, it would suck even more for you to get in more trouble because of me. If they say no, don't sneak out. We'll just celebrate afterwards, ok?"

Alex shook her head fervently. "No, Liv. That's not the same thing. Your birthday only comes once a year. And I have every intention to make it as special as possible."

Olivia was touched by Alex's declaration. Nonetheless, she didn't want Alex to suffer anymore. "Come on, Al. Seriously, I don't want you in anymore trouble. Besides, my birthday falls on a school day this year. It's not like we wouldn't get to see or talk to each other at all."

"School doesn't count. Liv, if they say no and you don't want me to sneak out to see you, then you're gonna have to get a restraining order against me and have your own personal detail. Even then, that wouldn't stop me. We are spending all our free time together on your birthday, and there's nothing anyone can say or do to prevent that."

Olivia chuckled at Alex's stubbornness. She knew that this was an argument she was going to lose, and honestly, she didn't mind. Cocking her head to the side and smiling, she said, "You know, you'd make a damn good lawyer one day."

Alex grinned. "Thanks."

They resumed their walking. When they got to the garden, Olivia plucked up a dew-covered lilac and presented it to Alex. Alex's face lit up. "Thank you, Liv. It's beautiful."

Olivia placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and replied, "Just like you." Alex inhaled the sweet scent of the flower and basked in the peaceful silence of the night.

After several minutes of standing in the garden, Olivia wrapped her arms around Alex's waist. "What do ya say we go inside and warm up?"

Alex hesitated slightly. "I dunno, Liv…what if one of my parents is hanging around downstairs or something?"

"Aren't they asleep now?"

"Well…they should be. Technically, so should we."

"Then they'll never notice. Come on, Alex. This house is huge. I can dodge somewhere and hide, and they'd never find me."

Alex giggled. "Ok, Liv. But we have to be really quiet."

The two went inside the house and carefully snuck up to Alex's bedroom. Alex closed and locked her door while Olivia ran over to the bed. After kicking off her slippers, Alex climbed in bed and fell into her arms. Olivia kissed her passionately and tangled a hand in her hair as Alex caressed her torso. They briefly broke away so Alex could pull Olivia's shirt over her head, and then they resumed their battle of tongues.

After a few moments, Olivia left Alex's mouth to trail her tongue down her neck. Alex pinched Olivia's nipples and whispered, "Liv, be careful not to leave any marks."

Olivia grinned wickedly. "Don't worry. I'll only leave them where your parents won't see them."

Alex giggled and replied, "You're silly, Liv."

"Oh, I was being quite serious," Olivia mumbled. She unbuttoned the top to Alex's pajamas and pulled it off her shoulders. "Mmm, yes," Olivia breathed, squeezing Alex's breasts in her hands.

When Olivia took a nipple into her mouth, Alex threw her head back and moaned, "Oh, _Liv_." Olivia smirked and slowly began kissing a trail down her stomach, eliciting several involuntary shivers from Alex. Arriving at her navel, she licked inside it before starting to pull her pajama pants down her legs.

Olivia definitely registered a look of shock when Alex stilled her hands. "Liv, can we not…you know…go all the way? After having Dr. Haskins poking around inside me, I just don't feel like I can…you know, tonight," Alex explained, taking Olivia's hands into her own and caressing them.

Olivia nodded. "Sure, sweetie. Whatever you're comfortable with. We can just cuddle."

Alex smiled and gave her a quick kiss. "Thanks, Liv."

Olivia gently stroked her cheek. "Sweetheart, you don't have to thank me. I don't ever wanna do anything you're not 100 percent comfortable with."

Alex cuddled up to Olivia and laid her head on her chest. "So are you and the pokies ready for the first day?" she asked, playing with a nipple.

Olivia grinned. "We think so. How 'bout you?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. I wish we had more time for Christmas break."

"Me, too." Olivia smiled and licked her tongue over her top lip as she ran a hand up and down Alex's thigh. "But I do look forward to the way you sit in your desk with your legs crossed all sexily."

Alex giggled. "You're one to talk. Especially the way you lean all back in your desk with your chest puffed out."

Olivia laughed. "I do not!"

"You do, too!" Alex insisted. "And that's not all! You spread your legs open, too! It's like you're just inviting me to sneak under the desk and get between them!"

Olivia doubled over in laughter. "Alex, I swear it's not intentional."

Alex rubbed the back of Olivia's hand with her thumb. "That's one of the first things I noticed about you. How you always seem to have this raw sensuality—no matter what you're doing, no matter what you're wearing. I would just sit there drooling over you. It was also a nice surprise to find out you're really a big ol' softie underneath your tough exterior."

Olivia smiled. "Hey, only for you. So what made you finally decide to ask me out?"

"Well…I couldn't take it anymore. I knew I liked you, but I was afraid to make a move. But my feelings for you just got stronger and stronger until I felt like I was just gonna burst if I didn't do something about them! There was this one time when we were in the locker room and you'd taken off your jersey to get in the shower, and I got a full view of your bare back. I thought I was gonna faint."

Olivia chuckled. "I always thought you were pretty hot but that you were unattainable. I didn't wanna make a move to just find out it was a one-sided crush. If I'd known you were gay beforehand, I would've been all over you." She smiled slyly. "Especially when the girls would throw you up in the air and I'd get a glimpse of your little cheer panties."

Alex burst out laughing. "You mean my spankies?"

Olivia's eyes got wide and she asked, "Really? They're called that?" Alex nodded. Olivia gave her a lopsided grin and continued, "Well, I can see why. I definitely wouldn't mind giving you a spanking when you have those on."

Alex laughed and shook her head. She noticed Olivia's nipples hardening even more. She lightly tickled them. "Oh, Liv. You get turned on so easily."

Olivia raised an eyebrow and started rubbing circular patterns on Alex's bare stomach. She gave a self-satisfied smirk when she noticed Alex's nipples hardening in return. "I wouldn't talk if I were you."

Alex blushed and pressed her breasts up against Olivia's. "Look, our boobies are cuddling."

Olivia laughed and looked down at their chests. "I guess they are," she replied.

Alex suddenly pouted and ran her fingers through Olivia's hair. "I wish you could spend the night."

Olivia softly captured Alex's lips with her own. "I know, baby. Me, too."

"Let's just enjoy the time we have together," Alex suggested.

They cuddled together for almost an hour more before Olivia pulled her shirt and jacket back on. "Well, it's after one. I guess I'd better go now."

Alex nodded. "Yeah. We have to get up early."

They got out of bed and Alex followed her to her bedroom door. Olivia gave her a kiss and said, "So I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7:30? Maybe we'll have time to make a Starbucks run."

Alex wrapped her arms around her neck. "That sounds great. You sleep tight, ok?"

Olivia rubbed her nose against Alex's and planted another quick kiss on her lips. "Ok. And I'll try not to let the bedbugs bite, either," she said with a smile, gently pulling out of Alex's hold.

Olivia turned to leave but Alex pulled her into her arms for one last kiss. Letting go, she said, "If I don't let you go now, I'm never gonna let you leave."

Olivia gave her a lopsided grin. "Hey, can't say I'd be opposed to that."

They silently stared into each other's eyes for another moment or two. Alex rubbed her hands over the sleeves of Olivia's jacket and said, "Night, Liv. Call me to let me know you got home safely."

"I will. Night, Alex," Olivia responded, opening Alex's door and making her exit.


	5. Closer

**Chapter 5: Closer**

Olivia threw her bookbag onto the floor and slipped into the desk beside Alex. "Did you miss me during first period?" she asked with a smile.

Alex smiled. "You know it."

Olivia leaned over and said, "I hope Psych II is better than the first half. I was bored to tears last semester."

"Oh, I know. Me too," Alex agreed.

Mrs. Olivet came in and immediately called for silence. She began passing out the syllabi. "Hello, class. Welcome to Psychology II. This semester will be very reading intensive, so I suggest you start early. As you can see, we will be having weekly quizzes, so it would be in your best interests for you all to know the material."

Picking up her copy and casually flipping through it, Olivia commented dryly, "Oh, joy. Nice to know that the reading for Psych II is tantamount to War and Peace." Alex giggled.

Mrs. Olivet turned her attention to Olivia. "Miss Benson, do you have something you'd like to add?"

"No ma'am," Olivia answered, looking her squarely in the eye.

"Didn't think so," she replied, turning to the dry-erase board. Olivia made a face at Mrs. Olivet's back.

Alex laughed again. "Liv, you're so silly!"

"Am I going to have to separate you two?" Mrs. Olivet asked, turning back around.

"That won't be necessary, Mrs. Olivet," Alex replied. She bent over to pull out her eyeglass case from her Longchamp bag and then looked at Olivia. Olivia ran her tongue over her top lip as Alex slowly put her glasses on and crossed her legs. Alex had to stifle a giggle as Olivia scooted her desk a couple inches over to be closer to her.

Several minutes into class, Alex reached over to intertwine her fingers with Olivia's. Olivia smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly. They quickly let go when Mrs. Olivet turned to the side to flip a page in her textbook as she continued writing on the board.

As Olivia and Alex were walking out the door at the end of class, Mrs. Olivet motioned for them to come to her desk. "Listen girls, I know you two are an item, but I would appreciate it if you would leave it outside my classroom."

Alex and Olivia looked at each other. "H-how do you know?" Alex stammered, turning back to Mrs. Olivet.

Mrs. Olivet smiled. "Well, I am a psychologist. I've seen the way you two stare into each other's eyes for seconds on end when everyone else is facing the front of the room or at least pretending to look interested in the material." She turned to Olivia and continued, "I've also seen the less than suave way you try to pass notes to each other by pretending to drop your notebook on the floor."

Olivia gulped. "You're not gonna tell our parents, are you?" she asked nervously.

"No, that is not my place. My place is to be able to conduct a classroom without either of you interrupting its progress," Mrs. Olivet responded. "Girls, I know what it's like to be in love. I know how strong attraction can be. But I trust that you two can sit and work together for a mere 50 minutes without engaging in public displays of affection like you did last semester. Am I correct?"

"Yes ma'am," Alex responded.

"Yes," Olivia echoed.

"Good, girls. You are dismissed," Mrs. Olivet replied with a wave of her hand.

After they were outside, Olivia told Alex, "Wow. That was close."

Alex let out a deep breath. "I know. But now we're outside her class. So how about a little PDA now?"

Olivia grinned. "Why, Miss Cabot, you certainly are bold."

"This would be bold," Alex replied, grabbing the back of Olivia's neck and pressing her lips hard against hers. When Alex pulled back, Olivia had the dopiest grin on her face. "How was that?"

"That…was fantastic," Olivia responded.

Alex grinned. "Happy to oblige."

"But you know," Olivia began, playing with Alex's collar. "I kinda liked the notebook thing."

Alex giggled. "Me, too. I thought it was so cute."

Smiling, Olivia took Alex's hand into her own and walked her to her next class. "So I'll see you at lunch?" she asked when they had arrived at the door.

Alex nodded. "Definitely. I hope this class goes by fast. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, babe," Olivia said, kissing her on the nose. "I'll send you a text, ok?"

"Ok," Alex answered. She sighed happily as she watched Olivia walk off to her class.

* * *

Alex and Olivia set their trays down and took a seat beside each other. "Hey guys," Kathy greeted them.

"Hey," Alex and Olivia said in unison.

"Well, look. It's our favorite couple," Elliot said with a smile.

"You know it," Olivia replied happily, pulling Alex to her and kissing her on the cheek.

Serena and Casey showed up just at that moment. "Hey, we resent that," Casey joked.

Elliot grinned. "Ok, when you two have been a couple a little longer I might have to reconsider first place. But for now you get a consolation prize."

"Sounds good," Casey said, grinning.

"I don't think so," Olivia protested. "Alex and I are not yet ready to give up the title."

"I'll wrestle you for it," Casey told her.

Olivia flexed her muscles. "You sure about that?"

"Hey, Casey is playing softball this semester. Her muscles might give you a run for your money, Liv," Serena said, proudly rubbing Casey's back.

Olivia scoffed. "I doubt it. I can pick Alex up with one arm." Alex looked at Olivia and gasped.

Casey looked at Alex and smirked. "That's because she weighs 20 pounds."

Alex put her hands on her hips. "I do not!"

"I'd honestly like to see Liv and Casey wrestle," Elliot commented.

Kathy shook her head. "You're such a guy, Elliot."

He looked at her. "I was last time I checked." Everyone at the table laughed.

"But speaking of sports, you gonna do any this semester, Alex?" Elliot asked, turning to her.

"I think I'm gonna do gymnastics," Alex answered.

Olivia smiled. "Gymnasts are sexy. Besides, those new ways you'll learn how to bend your body will really come in handy when we're—"

"Alrighty then. So how's everyone's food?" Elliot interrupted, changing the subject. Olivia smirked at him.

Alex giggled and reached under the table to place her hand in Olivia's lap. "You're so naughty, Liv."

Olivia leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Just wait until school is over."

Alex blushed. "Liv, you know I'm still grounded."

"Al, it's not like your parents have you on a time crunch. Your dad won't even be home when school lets out. And your mom probably won't be either." She leaned over again and whispered in her ear, "Besides, there's always my backseat."

Alex blushed an even deeper shade of red. "Oh, Liv."

"You're grounded?" Serena asked, her eyes wide. "What did you do?"

Alex and Olivia looked at each other. "Long story," Alex answered. "I'll tell you about it later."

"Did you two get caught doing the nasty?" Serena pressed.

Olivia gave her a look. "Serena, would we be alive to tell about it if that was the case?"

Serena snickered. "Hey, just asking."

Alex stuck her fork over and speared some of Olivia's chicken. Olivia stared at her as she chewed. "What?" Alex asked around her mouthful.

"Hungry, babe?" Olivia asked, gently rubbing her stomach.

"Very," Alex responded as she swallowed.

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "Well…I have something you can eat."

Elliot shook his head, Kathy gasped, and Serena and Casey just laughed. "Is this what we're gonna have to deal with the entire semester?" Serena asked.

"Yep," Olivia responded with a sly grin. She leaned over and whispered in Alex's ear, "I have to go to the bathroom. What do you say you join me?"

Alex grinned. "Of course." She looked over the table at their friends. "Hey guys, Liv needs to use the bathroom. We'll be back, ok?"

Elliot smirked. "Yes, because it always takes two people for one to tinkle."

Olivia threw a fry at him. "You're just jealous because you and Kathy can't go in the same bathroom," she said, getting up and taking Alex's hand.

As soon as they closed the bathroom stall door, Alex ordered, "Pants down. Now."

Olivia smiled and did as she was told. Alex stared at her open-mouthed as Olivia sat down on the toilet. "Liv, what are you doing?"

Olivia looked up at her and answered matter-of-factly, "Peeing. I really was serious when I said I had to go."

Alex stood with her arms folded and watched as Olivia used the toilet. Olivia grinned and then reached her hand out when she was finished. "What?" Alex asked.

"Toilet paper."

"Liv, you're two inches from it! You can get it yourself!"

"But I'd like it so much more if you got it for me."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to wipe you, too?"

Olivia grinned wickedly. "Well…"

"No. No way in hell, Liv," Alex responded, shaking her head fervently.

Olivia chuckled. "Hey, it was worth a try. But Alex, I would be forever grateful if you just handed me some toilet paper. Seriously, do you want me to just drip dry?"

Sighing, Alex tore off some toilet paper and placed it in Olivia's open hand. "Satisfied?" she asked, watching as Olivia wiped and then stood up to flush the toilet.

"Very," Olivia answered. Alex shook her head and turned to leave the stall but Olivia grabbed her arm. "Where ya goin'?"

"Uh…back to the lunchroom."

"Not yet," Olivia responded, pinning Alex up against the stall and invading her mouth. She pressed Alex's arms flat against the stall above her head and linked her fingers with hers. "God, how I want you," Olivia mumbled.

"You have no idea," Alex responded.

Olivia nipped at an earlobe. "Just wait until I get done with you," she whispered sultrily. "You better be glad you don't have gymnastics tryouts this afternoon."

Alex moaned as Olivia grabbed her breasts. "You like that, sweetie?" Olivia asked, moving her tongue down to the pulse point on Alex's neck.

Alex pressed her body harder against Olivia's. "Yes," she breathed.

"Good," Olivia replied, moving her hands down to Alex's hips.

"Oh god, Liv. Oh god," Alex moaned as Olivia pulled down her pants and underwear and shoved two fingers inside her, quickly followed by a third. Alex jumped slightly and threw her head back against the stall. "I love it when you take me."

"Mmhmm," Olivia mumbled. Capturing Alex's mouth again, she began to thrust her tongue inside to match the rhythm of her fingers. Alex caressed her breasts under her bra and shoved her thigh against Olivia's bare crotch. Her nipples hardened significantly beneath Alex's fingertips. Alex could feel Olivia's wetness coating her skin. The heady scent of Olivia's arousal seemed to permeate the air and only added to the immense pleasure Alex was experiencing. Olivia grunted and increased her fingers' rhythm as she slid her center harder against Alex's thigh. After several minutes, both were shuddering against each other. Olivia went limp in Alex's arms. "Mmm…that was nice," she said when she caught her breath.

"I'll say," Alex agreed. "God, I love it when you fuck me in that leather jacket."

Olivia grinned. "Now I see why you got it for me."

Alex wrapped her arms around her waist. "Well, the initial reason was to keep you warm. But I must admit, the thought of you making love to me in it did cross my mind once or twice. Come on, let's get back. I'm sure our friends' imaginations are going crazy right about now."

They both returned to the table. Of course, everyone stared at them. "Is it just me or do those two have that freshly fucked look on their faces?" Elliot asked.

Serena smirked. "Oh, it's not just you," she told Elliot.

Kathy looked at Elliot. "Come on, El. Don't tease the girls."

Olivia grinned proudly while Alex just blushed. "Hey well, I can't help it if Alex finds me irresistible."

Alex gasped at Olivia. "Oh, so it's just me?" She pulled out her glasses and put them on.

Olivia felt herself getting warm. "Alex, you don't play fair."

Alex took her glasses off and dragged the temple tips down Olivia's arm. She grinned smugly when she noticed Olivia's slight shiver.

Serena laughed. "Wow, Liv. I never knew you were so easy."

Olivia blushed. "I'm not."

Alex snorted. "Yeah, ok." She picked up a fry and put it in her mouth. "Liv, my fries are cold!"

"Serves you right," Olivia said with her own smug grin. "That's what you get for teasing me."

Alex pouted. "You're the one who kept me in the bathroom all day."

Olivia smirked. "I seem to recall that you were a willing participant."

"Ladies," Elliot began. "Let's play nice."

"Can you imagine what the two of them would've been like in kindergarten?" Casey asked in wonder.

"Yeah," Serena answered. "We'd have little Liv chasing little Alex around on the playground, trying to kiss her and then little Alex would chase little Liv around because she held Tweety hostage when she wouldn't."

Everyone laughed. Alex threw a fry at Serena and said, "Hey, no one touches Tweety."

"Except for me," Olivia said, wrapping her arm around Alex's shoulders.

"Aw, El. They're so cute," Kathy cooed.

"Don't encourage them," Elliot replied.

"We don't need any," Olivia said with a grin.

"It's true! Those two could get turned on in the middle of a snowstorm with no food, water, or electricity," Serena joked.

"We could keep each other warm," Alex said, smiling into Olivia's eyes.

Just then, the bell rang. Everyone started to get up. "Hey, you two behave for the rest of the day, ok?" Elliot said as he placed a hand on Kathy's back.

Olivia smirked. "We'll try."

"But we're not making any promises," Alex added with a sly grin.

* * *

At the beginning of 6th period, Alex walked into the classroom and picked a drawing table in the back. She had only put her stuff down for a few seconds before Jake slid onto the stool beside her. "Well Alex, we meet again. I didn't know you were taking Drawing," he said with a huge grin on his face.

Alex frowned. "Jake, come on. Get up. You know Olivia will be here any second."

"Hey, it's not my fault I got to class early," he replied, moving his stool closer to Alex. "Looks like we're gonna be partners."

Alex gave him a disgusted look. "I wouldn't bet on it. Seriously, just move before she gets here."

Olivia grabbed her bookbag and rushed down the halls. She was pressed for time as her IB British Literature teacher had given them a pop quiz at the end of class and she'd been one of the last to turn hers in. When she finally walked into Drawing, she was annoyed to find Jake sitting right beside Alex. Marching over to them, she asked him, "Jake, will you please move to another table?"

"Why?" he asked, folding his arms.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Because I wanna sit by my girlfriend."

"Finders keepers, losers weepers," he replied with a smug grin plastered across his face.

"Get up, asswipe," Olivia ordered, giving Jake a threatening look. She was quickly losing patience.

"Make me," he taunted her.

"Oh, don't tempt me," Olivia countered, glaring at him.

"You should've gotten here earlier," he responded.

Olivia folded her arms across her chest and leaned into his face. "Jake, I am too serious. Get the hell up. _Now_."

Alex was highly amused at their confrontation. However, she knew Olivia was getting angry and that it was in Jake's best interests to comply with her wishes. Placing a hand gently on Olivia's arm, she told him, "Jake, please just get up. Let's start this semester off drama free, ok?"

He shook his head. "No deal."

"Jake, stop acting like a petulant child. Please just move," Alex continued.

"Cheer up, babe. I just wanna be next to the hottest girl in the room," Jake responded, putting his fingers in Alex's hair.

Olivia couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. Fuming, she grabbed his hand and twisted his fingers back painfully. "If you wanna keep these, I suggest you never touch Alex again."

Jake tried to pull his hand out of Olivia's harsh grasp but his efforts were futile. "Ow, bitch! Let go!"

Olivia let go and shoved him off the stool onto the floor. "Thanks, Jake. I knew you'd be cooperative," she responded sarcastically. Alex laughed as a clearly embarrassed Jake quickly got up off the floor and moved to a table a few rows in front of them.

"You know, you were so hot right then," Alex told Olivia, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Olivia grinned. "Would you like an encore?"

"Maybe later," Alex said, patting her knee. "So why were you late?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Mrs. Adams gave us a quiz. I couldn't believe she had the audacity to lecture us on the first day!"

"How do you think you did?"

"Probably bombed it. I wasn't paying attention because it's the first day. Besides, she drops our two lowest quiz grades, so I'm not too worried. Plus, I was thinking about you."

Alex smiled. "That's sweet, Liv. But I don't wanna be a distraction from your studies."

"Trust me, you'd like it. If you only knew what I thought about…"

"I think I already know," Alex replied with a grin.

After Mrs. Lindon had told the class to settle down, she gave them their first assignment. "Ok, class. Welcome to Drawing. You will specifically learn how to draw faces this semester utilizing the right side of the brain. We will be using Betty Edwards' book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. I will give you all portfolios so you can track your success. Over the course of the semester, we will focus on specific parts of the face at a time. Today, I want you to turn to your partner and draw him or her. At the end of the semester, you will draw your partner again so you can see how much you have progressed."

Alex looked at Olivia and smiled. "I always wanted to draw you."

"Really?"

"Yes," Alex replied. She leaned over and whispered in her ear, "But I'd prefer you didn't have on any clothes."

Olivia grinned. "I dunno, Al. I think Mrs. Lindon would strongly object."

Mrs. Lindon placed a piece of paper as well as a syllabus in front of each of them before moving on to the next table. "Supplies are in the back. If you want to purchase your own, you are welcome to do so. Actually, I would advise you to because what you do not finish in my class, you will be expected to complete at home, and none of my supplies are to leave this classroom."

Alex looked at the syllabus and frowned. "I was hoping to see boobies on the list of body parts we'd draw."

Olivia giggled. "Last time I checked Al, boobs weren't a part of the face."

Alex picked up her pencil and started sketching. "Well, I'm drawing you from the waist up today."

Olivia chuckled and remarked, "Well, this will certainly be interesting to see."

A few minutes into her drawing, Alex whined, "Liv, stop moving! You're making it harder to draw."

"I'm only moving because I'm trying to get you at the best angle!"

Alex smirked. "Gee Liv, where have I heard that one before?" A few snickers could be heard from nearby classmates.

Olivia grinned and lightly shoved her arm. "Hey now."

When Olivia had finished her best effort at drawing Alex, Alex examined her work and exclaimed, "Liv! My nose looks ginormous!"

Olivia looked over at Alex's paper and said, "Well Alex, you drew my mouth on crooked!"

"It's not crooked! It's my best illustration of when you do that little lopsided grin."

Olivia smiled and pinched her cheek. "Aw, that's adorable."

When they had turned in their drawings at the end of class, Olivia and Alex held hands and walked to Human Anatomy. As soon as they entered the room, Olivia raced to the back, tugging Alex by the hand.

Monique gave Olivia a weird look. "Damn, Liv. In a rush?"

Olivia smiled. "You bet. Everyone always wants to be in the back in Jenkins' classes. He's so damn boring."

"Well, you got that right," Monique agreed.

Olivia opened up one of the cabinets under their black-topped lab table and looked at the dissecting microscope. "Ooh, look Alex! How cool is this microscope?!"

Alex smiled and gently rubbed her back. "You're so cute when you're excited."

After the syllabi were passed out, Alex looked over the assignments and asked Olivia, "Do you think this class is gonna be really gross?"

"Nah. A lot of it is textbook or computer stuff. And we'll look at slides under the microscopes a lot. But the dissecting actually looks kinda fun. We'll have our own little pet pig. We can even name him or her."

Alex scrunched her face up. "Sorry, Liv. But my idea of a pet isn't exactly a dead fetal pig reeking of formaldehyde. I think we'd be better off getting a puppy."

Olivia chuckled. "You'll get through it, Alex. I'm positive."

Alex smiled. "Only because you'll be right there beside me every step of the way."

"You know it," Olivia assured her. She reached over and squeezed Alex's hand as Mr. Jenkins put in an introductory video of the human body and turned out the lights.

Alex snuggled up to Olivia and laid her head on her shoulder. "I'm so glad you chose a station in the back."

Olivia smiled. "Me, too. Jenkins won't be able to see what we're doing," she whispered, lowering her hand to the small of Alex's back.

Alex giggled softly and lifted her head. "Liv, you're being naughty!"

"Nah, naughty would be this," she replied, slipping her hand down into her pants.

Alex shivered involuntarily as Olivia massaged her upper hip. She bit her lip to keep from moaning. "Liv, you can't do this in Anatomy!" she whispered.

"Why not? I'm just familiarizing myself with _your_ anatomy," Olivia whispered back, scooting a little closer to her. Alex closed her eyes as Olivia moved her hand a little lower.

Mr. Jenkins adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. He cleared his throat. "Miss Cabot, can you tell us if the veins or the arteries carry the blood away from the heart?"

_Shit_, Alex thought. "Um…veins?"

"That is incorrect. If you had kept your eyes open during the video, you would have heard the narrator inform you that the arteries in fact carry blood away from the heart."

"Oh…um, sorry Mr. Jenkins," Alex responded. She was glad the lights were out so her classmates couldn't see her blushing.

Olivia took her hand out of the back of her pants and rubbed her back. "It's ok, sweetie." She could make out Alex's crimson hue even in the dark.

Alex looked at her and smiled. "You're distracting," she whispered.

"And you're beautiful," Olivia whispered back, putting an arm around her waist protectively and looking toward the front of the room to continue watching the video.

* * *

"Liv…what are we doing here?" Alex asked as Olivia pulled up at the lake. "You know I'm supposed to go straight home."

"Come on, babe. We won't be here long. I promise. I just wanted to spend some quiet time alone with you. You know, away from all the madness."

Alex smiled and cocked her head to the side. "You're not gonna throw me into the lake again are you?"

Olivia grinned. "Can't. It's frozen."

"Well, there are a few weak spots."

"Don't worry, sweetie. I just wanted to come to our favorite place together." Olivia leaned over and said softly, "C'mere." Alex looked into her dark brown eyes, which were so warm and inviting, and leaned in to meet her lips. Their kiss was slow, sweet, and delicate, yet strong. Alex reveled in the velvety smoothness of Olivia's tongue as it traversed her mouth. With that one kiss, Olivia poured all her love and trust into Alex, and Alex knew that they would be able to get through anything thrown their way. She didn't think it was possible to get any closer to Olivia than she had that day or the past months they'd spent most of their time together, but it seemed as if that kiss had made their souls grow yet a little closer after all.

After what seemed like a blissful eternity, Alex pulled back and smiled. "That was beautiful, Liv."

Olivia grinned like a Cheshire cat and looked dreamily into Alex's eyes. "I know."

Alex scrambled to the backseat. Olivia looked at her with amusement, raising an eyebrow. Alex grinned. "Well, are you just gonna sit there all day or are you gonna get back here?"

"You don't have to ask me twice," Olivia said, quickly scrambling to the back with Alex. Settling on top of her, she tried to remove Alex's clothes but Alex stopped her.

"No, Liv. It's my turn to show you how much you mean to me," Alex said, flipping them over. Of course, she underestimated how much room they had to maneuver, and Olivia ended up on the floor of her car. "Oh, Liv! I'm so sorry!" Alex said, holding out her hand to help Olivia back up onto the seat.

Laughing, Olivia teased her, "For a moment, Al, I thought you were gonna fuck me between the seats."

Alex laughed, too. "That would be an awkward situation." Gently pushing Olivia down, she removed her clothes and appreciatively looked over her entire body. Putting a hand against Olivia's face, she said breathlessly, "Baby, you're so beautiful."

Olivia blushed. "You're one to talk."

Alex tenderly kissed Olivia before trailing kisses down her neck and across her collarbone. With her tongue, she mapped out the territory of Olivia's torso. Taking one of Olivia's nipples into her mouth, she sucked the tender flesh as she slowly caressed her stomach. When she was done, she moved to the other breast and repeated her motions. Gently settling between her legs, she parted her folds with one hand and deliberately dragged her fingers up and down the length of her center while looking into her eyes. Shivers of pleasure ran up and down Olivia's body. As Olivia's wetness began to spread, Alex carefully captured some of it with her tongue. "God, I love the way you taste," Alex said, tugging on Olivia's soaked dark curls and sticking her tongue out for more.

Olivia ran her fingers through Alex's hair. "Baby, you feel so good right now." As much as she loved making love to Alex, she also loved it when Alex made love to her. Alex's touches were always so soft, so carefully articulated. She had learned Olivia's body well, and she knew exactly what to do to bring her the most pleasure.

Alex continued caressing Olivia's sex with her tongue before dipping it inside her. Olivia let out a long, low moan as Alex picked up a gentle thrusting rhythm with her tongue while massaging her clit with her fingers. With her other hand, she trailed her fingers up her stomach to knead a breast. Taking the nipple between her fingers, Alex rolled the hardened flesh back and forth as she began twisting her tongue inside Olivia. Olivia whimpered in response; she could feel her orgasm building inside her. Knowing she was close, Alex dragged her tongue one last time up the length of Olivia's sex before taking her painfully stiff clit into her mouth and sucking hard. Olivia let out a scream as she felt the powerful waves of her orgasm overtake her. After drawing the last of Olivia's shivers out with her fingers, Alex pulled herself up her body and captured her lips.

"Wow, babe. That was incredible," Olivia commented when she had regained control of her senses. "I don't know if I'll be able to drive us home."

Alex giggled and kissed her on the nose. "That was my intention," she replied. Olivia smiled brightly and cradled Alex against her breasts.

After several minutes of just holding each other, Olivia asked, "Ready to go home now?"

Alex shook her head. "Liv, I'm never ready to leave you."

Olivia was touched by Alex's words but didn't want Alex in anymore trouble with her parents. "Well, I want you alive and well tomorrow when I pick you up." She got dressed again and they moved back to the front. After cranking up the car, she reached over and grasped Alex's hand. "But I want you to know I'm never ready to leave you, either." She tenderly kissed Alex's lips before putting her car in reverse and backing away from the docks.


	6. Blast from the Past

**Chapter 6: Blast from the Past**

"This weekend without you was the longest ever, Liv," Alex said with a pout as she got into Olivia's car Tuesday morning.

"I know, sweetie," Olivia sympathized. "I usually like the MLK holiday, but it was just another day I couldn't see you. But at least we got to talk on the phone a lot."

"Yeah," Alex replied, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"But nothing beats the real thing," Olivia continued, running her fingers through Alex's hair.

Alex smiled. "Think we have time for a Starbucks run?"

Olivia reached around to the back and pulled out a cardboard drink holder and a paper bag. "Already did it for you."

"Aww, that's so sweet, Liv!" Alex said, taking her cup of white hot chocolate and a cheese Danish. "Man, I was starving, too!"

"I figured you would be," Olivia said with a smile as Alex took a bite.

"You're so good to me, Liv," Alex remarked warmly, giving her a big kiss on the cheek. She left some of the cheese filling in her wake.

Smiling, Olivia wiped off the filling and sucked it from her fingers. "You got cheese on my face!" she said with a laugh.

Alex grinned. "By the end of the day, I hope that's not the only thing I get on your face."

Olivia gasped. "Alexandra Cabot! What has gotten into you?"

"I guess you're rubbing off on me," Alex replied with a wink.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Is that so, huh? I seem to recall a certain blonde with a very dirty mind on the phone this weekend…"

Alex put the car in drive. "Just drive, Liv," she said, shaking her head and taking a sip of her hot chocolate. Olivia laughed and pulled out of Alex's driveway.

* * *

Alex slid into her desk beside Olivia. "Wow, you're here before me! That's a shocker."

Olivia grinned. "I thought I'd surprise you. How was Euro?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Boring—as usual. Having Euro again this early in the morning really is not my cup of tea. Already wanting to pull my hair out this soon in the semester is not a good sign of things to come." Olivia snickered and leaned over to pull out her textbook.

About 10 minutes into class, there was a knock on the door. Mrs. Elleworth, the guidance counselor, beckoned for Mrs. Olivet to come outside.

When she came back in, a pretty, long-haired brunette accompanied her. "Class, we have a new student. This is Abbie Carmichael. She just transferred from Westminster Preparatory. I trust that you will welcome her and make her feel at home here."

Alex froze in her seat. _Please tell me I'm dreaming. Please tell me I'm dreaming_, she thought. Abbie looked over the class and her eyes instantly made contact with Alex's. Alex drew in a sharp breath. Her heart started to race and her throat became parched.

Olivia immediately recognized that something was wrong with Alex. "Sweetie, are you ok?" she asked, breaking through Alex's thoughts.

Alex quickly shook her head to break her daze. "Yeah, Liv. I'm fine," she lied, flashing Olivia a tight smile.

Abbie shakily made her way to her seat. She felt that her heart was about to beat right out of her chest. _Oh my god. It's Alexandra Cabot. Maybe fate has given me a second chance with her_, she thought hopefully. But at the same time, she was afraid of how Alex would perceive her after their less than civil parting the previous summer.

Alex could feel her eyes tearing up. She didn't know how she could make it through the last 35 minutes of class without bursting into tears. Flipping a page in her notebook, she suddenly became more engrossed in her note-taking than she ever had before.

_Why is Alex acting so weird? _Olivia thought. She wanted to pass a note to Alex to ask her what was wrong, but after Mrs. Olivet's comment last Thursday, she decided that would no longer be an effective method. _I'll just get her to spill when class is over_, Olivia resolved.

When class ended, Alex quietly gathered up her things. "You wanna tell me what that was all about?" Olivia asked her once they were outside the classroom.

"What was what about?" Alex asked, feigning ignorance.

"Your reaction when Olivet introduced the new girl. You acted like you knew her or something. And you seemed upset."

Alex sighed. She knew she might as well come clean with Olivia about exactly who Abbie was. "I do know her. You remember when I told you the story about being at cheerleading camp last summer after the whole incident with Brian Cassidy?"

"Yeah, I guess," Olivia replied.

"Well…you know the part where I said I was dating this cheerleader and I caught her making out with a guy one day after lunch?" Alex continued.

Everything came rushing back to Olivia. She put two and two together. "Abbie's the girl who cheated on you."

"Yep," Alex responded with a sad smile. "Small world, huh?"

Olivia swallowed hard. "You looked like you were about to cry during class. You still have feelings for her," she said in a pained voice.

Alex was shocked that Olivia would think such a thing. She thought Olivia knew that she and only she owned her heart. "No, Liv! I don't still have feelings for her! It's just that seeing her again opened up old wounds of how she hurt me! I never thought I'd see her again after camp, and I took a lotta comfort in that. That is, until today. Yeah, I liked her last summer, but I've never loved anyone but you, Liv. I swear to you," she insisted, placing her hand gently against Olivia's cheek.

Olivia held her hand in place and smiled weakly. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Alex assured her, wiping away a tear that had fallen down Olivia's cheek. "I was just reminded of the hurt, is all. Being cheated on made me feel…" Alex's voice broke. "Like I wasn't good enough," she continued, trying to fight back her own tears.

Olivia wrapped Alex in a warm hug. "No, sweetie. Don't ever feel that way. Alexandra Cabot, no one can ever measure up to you. She was the one who wasn't good enough for you."

Pulling back, Alex smiled slightly and looked Olivia in the eye. "Really? You mean that?"

"With all my heart," Olivia said, giving Alex a kiss on the forehead. She hugged her again tightly.

At that moment, Abbie came out of the classroom. _Who is that girl_? she wondered. _I hope they aren't involved_. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she walked up to Alex and Olivia. "Hey, Alex. Long time no see. You got a minute?"

Alex pulled out of Olivia's embrace, her eyes flashing blue fire. "I'm busy, Abbie."

Abbie took a deep breath. "Listen, Alex…I know you must hate me, but I think we have some things we need to talk about."

Olivia glared at Abbie and took a step closer to her. "No, you don't. Alex doesn't want a damn thing to do with you."

Abbie frowned. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

"Her girlfriend," Olivia responded with a smug smile. Her smile became wider when she saw the blood drain from Abbie's face. Olivia took Alex's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Alex turned to her and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

Abbie gave Alex an annoyed look. "So can you speak for yourself or does your _girlfriend_ here always do all the talking?"

Olivia's jaw clenched. Alex wrapped her arm around Olivia's waist and glared at Abbie again. "I can speak just fine. I just don't want to speak to you," she replied coldly, taking Olivia's hand again and marching in the opposite direction. Abbie just stood there in hurt shock, watching them walk away.

"Are you gonna be ok?" Olivia asked her when they'd reached her next class.

Alex nodded. "Yeah. But it's all thanks to you."

Olivia smiled with pride. "If you need to have a good cry, just send me a text and I'll get a hall pass and meet you in the bathroom, ok?" she said, gently rubbing her back.

Alex nodded again. "Ok. I love you, Liv."

"I love you too, babe. See you soon," Olivia said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before turning to leave.

* * *

Several minutes into 3rd period, Alex pulled out her phone and sent Olivia a text message under her desk. She then asked for a hall pass and waited in the bathroom until Olivia arrived. Olivia took her into her arms and smoothed her hair. At Olivia's touch, Alex broke down.

"Why am I always getting hurt?" she asked, sobbing into Olivia's shoulder. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"No, baby," Olivia said, rubbing her back soothingly. "You're perfect."

"But what if you meet someone else and fall out of love with me?" Alex asked, the tears streaming down her face.

Olivia pulled back and looked deeply into Alex's eyes. She hated that seeing Abbie had caused Alex's insecurities to resurface. "That will never happen, Alex. I'm no one's but yours," she said with conviction.

Alex tenderly held Olivia's face in her hands. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Olivia gave her a lopsided grin and gently wiped her tears away with a tissue. "Probably get a little more sleep at nights."

Alex giggled. "Oh, Liv." She sighed and then asked, "How do you think I feel about Abbie, Liv? Honestly."

Olivia pondered things for a moment before she responded. "Did things end on a good note between you two? I mean, were you two able to resolve things somehow before you went your separate ways?"

Alex shook her head. "No. When I caught her cheating on me, I blew up at her and told her I never wanted to see her again. We got into this huge argument and then we tried to avoid each other as much as possible for the rest of camp."

"She never offered you an explanation of why she did it?"

"No," Alex responded, wiping away another tear that had fallen. "It was just a bunch of name-calling and she told me that I just needed to worry about what she did with me, not what she did with others. I never understood why she did it. It caught me completely off guard. I mean, things had been going well between us. We never even argued or anything."

"Well…" Olivia began, rubbing her hands up and down Alex's arms. "I think that at one point, you really cared about her and you never had time to properly heal from the hurt she caused you. That's why seeing her upset you today. You never really got any closure."

Alex smiled, thankful that Olivia had been able to make such an accurate assessment of her situation. Olivia was not only her lover and her soul mate, but she had become her most valued confidante, her mentor, and in a way, her best friend. "Why is it that you make so much sense?" she asked.

Olivia shrugged. "I guess I'm just good like that," she said with a grin.

"Yes, you are," Alex said, leaning in to capture her lips. "So what should I do, Liv?"

"Confront her about how she hurt you so you can heal. I can tell by the way she looked at you that she still likes you. Tell her you no longer have feelings for her and that she needs to move on with her life like you have. I mean, things weren't serious between you, were they?"

"No," Alex replied, shaking her head.

"Good, then. It will be even easier for you," Olivia said reassuringly.

"But what if she tries to make a move on me?"

"Then I will rip every strand of her hair out," Olivia said with a calm smile.

Alex laughed. "So you won't get mad if I talk to her?"

"Well…I'm not gonna say that I'm gonna be 100 percent comfortable with it or that I'm gonna like it, but I know it's necessary for you to completely move past this. I don't want Abbie making you upset every time you see her. I also don't want her making me jealous."

Alex reached out to gently stroke her cheek. "Liv…I'm so in love with you. I don't want you thinking Abbie is a threat to our relationship because she's not. You have nothing to be jealous of. You're so much better than she is in every way."

Olivia smiled happily. "You really mean all that?"

"With every inch of my being, baby." She gave Olivia another hug and then said, "We should be getting back."

"Yeah, I only have about 10 minutes of French left anyway," Olivia agreed. "You ok now?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah. You're wonderful, you know that?"

Olivia grinned. "I think you might've mentioned it a couple times before." She gave Alex a kiss on the cheek. "See you at lunch."

She turned to leave, but Alex grabbed her arm and turned her back around to passionately kiss her. When Alex pulled back so they both could catch their breath, Olivia said, "Wow, Alex. What was that for?"

"Because I love you."

Olivia smiled in response. "Well, I love you, too." Taking Alex's hand, she said, "Come on. Let's get outta here."

As Olivia led them out the door, Alex had the peace of mind and confidence that everything truly would be ok after all.


	7. Closure

**Chapter 7: Closure**

"We got a new student today," Olivia announced. Everyone at the table looked up from their trays. Alex stiffened slightly.

"Oh, really? Who?" Elliot asked.

Olivia briefly glanced at Alex before continuing. "Alex's ex-girlfriend, Abbie Carmichael."

All their friends gasped, especially Serena. "You mean that bitch who cheated on you last summer at cheerleading camp?" Serena asked in astonishment.

Alex groaned. "Yes, Serena."

"What the hell is she doing here at Madison? Stalking you?" Serena continued.

Alex rolled her eyes. "I don't know. I didn't exactly interrogate her."

"Wow, that must've been really awkward, Alex," Kathy remarked sympathetically.

"It—" Alex began.

"Yeah…she came up to me and Alex after class and told Alex she wanted to 'talk,'" Olivia interrupted, doing air quotes around the last word. Alex shot her a warning look, which Elliot caught. He looked back and forth from one to the other.

Casey's fork stopped mid-air. "Talk? She isn't trying to get back with you, is she?"

Alex opened her mouth to answer but Olivia interrupted her yet again. "I'm sure those were her initial intentions. But then I told her I was Alex's girlfriend. You should've seen the way her face just fell! She was so jealous."

Alex was quickly getting annoyed with Olivia. "Liv, I'm not invisible here," she snapped.

Olivia gave her a slightly hurt look. "Sorry, Al."

Alex pushed back her chair. "I'll be back, guys," she told them, getting up and stalking out of the cafeteria.

Elliot looked at Olivia. "Doesn't look like Alex is too happy."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I noticed that." She pushed back her own chair and stood up. "I'll go see what's up with her. Be back."

Olivia walked into the bathroom and found Alex standing with her hands against the counter, staring into the mirror. Upon seeing Olivia enter, Alex turned to her and snapped, "Thanks for telling my business to everyone, Liv!"

"Alex, why are you so upset? They were all gonna find out eventually," Olivia tried to reason, walking over to her and standing a couple feet away.

"Well, you didn't have to run your mouth! When I was ready for them to know, don't you think I would've told them?"

Olivia frowned. "Sorry, Al. I didn't know you'd get so pissed off."

Alex threw her hands up in the air. "And you wouldn't even let me tell it! Every time I tried to say something, you interrupted me!"

Olivia folded her arms across her chest. "Well, Alex, it's not like I distorted any details!"

"That's not the point, Liv! Next time, do me a favor and just don't say anything!"

Olivia got even more on the defensive. "Dammit Alex, it's not like I got a megaphone and made an announcement to the whole fucking lunchroom! That is, if I could get it outta your ass first."

Alex's mouth dropped open. "What did you just say to me?" she asked, hurt.

Olivia turned red. "I just think you're getting a little too upset about this."

The tears started flowing again. "You know, Liv, the last thing I need is my own girlfriend telling me how to feel! How would you like it if someone from your past came back into your life and I told all our friends before you had a chance?"

Olivia sighed deeply. "Alex, I seriously wasn't trying to hurt you." She stepped closer to her and cautiously tried to stroke her arm. Alex pulled away. "Come on, Al. Don't be like this."

Alex frowned. "Sorry, Liv. I just can't help it. You know, megaphone up my ass and all," she retorted sarcastically.

Olivia placed her hand softly on Alex's back. "You know I didn't mean that." Alex folded her arms and turned her head. "Baby, don't shut me out," Olivia pleaded. "Please. I'm sorry."

Alex brushed away stray tears. "I…I just don't wanna talk about this anymore right now."

Olivia nodded. "Ok, sweetie. Let's just try to enjoy the rest of our lunch, all right?"

Alex flashed a brief smile and responded, "Ok." Olivia patted her on the back and followed her out the restroom.

* * *

That afternoon was the first day of gymnastics tryouts. Alex felt her stomach lurch a bit when she saw Abbie walk in at the last minute. _Great_, she thought. _I'll never escape her_. Their eyes briefly made contact and Abbie took a seat on the mat a few feet away from her.

The whole time Alex was practicing her drills, she could feel Abbie's eyes on her. _Don't mess up, Alex. Don't mess up_, she coached herself as she did a back walkover on the balance beam. _Do not let her distract you_. _Just think of Liv._

After the girls had been sent to the locker room to change, Alex got dressed and then waited for the other girls to leave. When the place was clear, she went over to Abbie and asked, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Abbie smirked. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me."

Alex sighed. "I just have some things I need to get off my chest."

Abbie looked down at her chest and smiled. "Which I notice has gotten bigger."

Alex self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest. "Stop it, Abbie."

Abbie took a step closer to her and laid her hand on her arm. "Are you gonna tell me that you don't feel anything when I stand this close to you? Or when I touch you?"

Alex narrowed her eyes at her. "I don't."

Abbie rolled her eyes. "Come on, Alex, why are you trying to deny your feelings for me?"

"I can't deny what doesn't exist, Abbie."

Abbie scoffed. "Oh please, Alex. I saw your reaction when we made eye contact in class. You looked like you just had the wind knocked outta you."

Alex sighed. "You could say that. I don't like to be confronted with painful elements of my past, Abbie. Seeing you today reopened my wounds."

"Can you look me in the eye and tell me you feel nothing at all for me?" Abbie asked. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the truth. It was enough of a shock that her father's company had caused them to change cities in the middle of the school year, and on top of being at a new school and knowing virtually no one, she was now forced to deal with feelings for a girl who seemed to no longer reciprocate them.

Alex looked her directly in the eye and responded sincerely, "Yes, Abbie. I did have feelings for you at one point, but I don't anymore."

"Since when?"

"Since I started crushing on Liv last year. Listen Abbie, we had a fling last summer, I liked you then, you cheated on me, and I was hurt. But I found someone else."

"I'm sorry, Alex," Abbie said with tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But…it just kinda happened."

Alex gave a humorless laugh. "That's your excuse?"

"Alex…Nathan and I were mutually attracted to each other, yes, but it's not like you and I were a solid thing. We'd only been dating a couple weeks. I didn't think our relationship would go anywhere since it was camp after all, and I kinda just wanted to have a little fun. But after camp ended, I couldn't stop thinking about you."

Alex was clearly appalled. "So you call cheating on someone _fun_? I don't care if we'd only been exclusive a couple days, the moment you agreed to be my girlfriend, you should've been faithful to me and only me."

Abbie shook her head. "That's not what I meant."

Alex sighed. "Regardless, if you wanted to date other people, you should've just told me. Then I never would've gotten involved with you. Monogamy is very important to me."

"Alex, when I kissed him I never thought you'd get that upset. I didn't even expect you to come around the corner."

"I know you didn't. And it wasn't just a kiss, Abbie. His tongue was so far down your throat I'm surprised it didn't trigger your gag reflex. And I don't even _wanna_ guess how far his hand was up your skirt."

Abbie helplessly threw her hands up in the air. "I said I was sorry. What more do you want? Chalk it up to youthful indiscretions, Alex."

Alex snorted and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Youthful indiscretions? Right."

Abbie looked down briefly before asking, "So, how serious are you and…Liv?"

"Very," Alex responded curtly.

"Are you in love with her?" Abbie asked, although secretly dreading the answer.

"Yes, I am in love with Olivia. We're each other's first loves," Alex replied.

Abbie felt her heart sink to the floor. "How long have you been together?"

"Since the beginning of last semester."

"Is she good to you?" Abbie asked.

"Yes," Alex answered. She looked off to the side and smiled. "She's perfect. She's my soul mate."

"Soul mate?" Abbie asked, scoffing. "Alex, how old are you? 15?"

"I'm old enough to know that she's my soul mate."

"How does she feel about this?"

"The exact same way I do," Alex said with a big smile.

"Don't you think you're both a little young to be so strongly committed to each other?"

Alex frowned. "Not at all."

Abbie asked the last question she was afraid of asking. "Are you guys intimate?"

Alex folded her arms again and said pointedly, "That's none of your business."

"Ouch, Alex. It was just a question. Retract your claws," Abbie responded with a smirk.

"Abbie, just because we dated for a short period of time doesn't give you any right to inquire about my private life."

Abbie rolled her eyes. "Ok, ok. I get it already."

"Good. I'm glad we got things settled," Alex said, picking up her bag and putting the strap over her shoulder.

"So that's just it?" Abbie asked with a puzzled expression. "You just wanted to tell me how over me you are and how wonderful your new girl is?"

Alex threw up her hands. "What do you want from me, Abbie?"

"A second chance, perhaps?"

Alex looked down. "You know that's not gonna happen. Even if I weren't with Liv, I don't see us getting back together. The feelings just aren't there anymore."

"Speak for yourself."

Alex sighed. "Abbie…I don't know if you're infatuated with me or if it's just some kinda prolonged crush. But whatever it is, I'm sure it will pass in due time. Other than that, I don't know what to say to appease you."

Abbie nodded in understanding. "It's ok. At least we're on more amenable terms now."

"Yeah. I don't like to just leave things hanging on a bad note. Well, see ya around. Good luck at the rest of tryouts," Alex said as she started to walk off.

"Hey, Alex?" Abbie called out after her.

Alex turned back around. "Yeah?"

"Maybe we can hang out sometime or something."

Alex smiled slightly. "Later," she simply responded. She wasn't going to make any promises she couldn't keep.

When Alex arrived outside the gym, she saw Olivia waiting for her on a bench. "Hey you," she said with a smile, walking over and giving Olivia a kiss on the cheek.

"So how did it go?" Olivia asked her.

Alex sat down beside her. "Eh, tryouts were just that—tryouts. They went ok, I suppose. Drills were kinda hard for the first day. But guess who showed up?"

Olivia rolled her eyes and groaned. "Abbie."

"Yep."

"Did you talk to her?"

"Yeah. Afterwards in the locker room," Alex replied. She then proceeded to recount their entire conversation to Olivia and was careful to take note of her reaction to everything she said. From what she could gather, Olivia seemed to be taking things pretty well.

After she was done, Olivia asked, "It just 'kinda happened'? She just wanted to have fun? That's how she explains cheating on you?"

"Yeah," Alex answered. "I wasn't too impressed either. And what's really ironic is that last summer she accused me of being too attached to her and now she's the one who's still attached to me."

Olivia shook her head. "That chick is unbelievable. So do you feel like you did indeed get things off your chest?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah. I'm glad I got this over with."

"Me, too," Olivia responded as they got up and started walking toward her car. "But I still don't trust her. She doesn't seem like the type to just give up that easily and say, 'Oh, you have a girl? Well, I'll just back off, then.' Especially if she's stuck on you."

"You really think she'll be that conniving?"

Olivia looked at her. "I hope not. But even after you told her you were in love with me and I was your soul mate, she still wanted a second chance. I don't want her hanging too close to you."

"Well, she's pretty good from what I can tell. She'll probably make the team."

"Damn," Olivia replied with a frown. "She better not cause any trouble."

Alex smiled. "I don't think she wants to risk getting her ass kicked by you."

Olivia grinned and draped her arm across Alex's shoulders. "But you know…there was one thing she was right about."

"What's that?"

"Your boobs have gotten a little bigger."

Alex looked down at her chest. "Really? I didn't think you'd noticed."

Olivia nodded. "Oh, trust me, babe. I notice everything about you."

Alex leaned over and shook her chest at Olivia. "Are they to your liking?"

Olivia stared at her chest and smiled. "Oh yeah."

Alex laughed. "Come on. Let's go get some ice cream."

Olivia looked at her amusedly. "Baby, isn't it a little cold for ice cream?"

Alex cocked her head to the side and responded matter-of-factly, "It's never too cold for ice cream."

Olivia chuckled and opened the passenger-side door for Alex. "Whatever you say, babe. Whatever you say."

Once they were buckled in, Alex asked, "You know what would be even crazier than Abbie pursuing me, Liv?"

"What?" Olivia asked, putting on her shades to block out the blinding sunlight.

"If Abbie started crushing on you."

Olivia chuckled and shook her head. "Don't jinx me, Alex."


	8. Free

**Chapter 8: Free**

It was Wednesday afternoon, and Serena had dropped Alex off after gymnastics tryouts since Olivia's swim team tryouts were running late. After about a half hour of studying for the Psychology quiz the next day, Alex set her notebook aside and went downstairs. Seeing her mother sitting in an armchair reading, she nervously approached her. "Hey, Mom?"

"Yes, dear?" her mother responded without looking up, adjusting her feet on the ottoman.

"You know Olivia's birthday is coming up…"

"Is that so?" her mother asked, continuing to flip through her magazine. "When is it?"

"Um…Monday," Alex answered nervously.

Madeline looked up. "And this is a problem because you will be on punishment until Tuesday, correct?" Alex nodded. Madeline put down her magazine and smiled. "And let me guess, Alexandra. You would like to celebrate Olivia's birthday with her. Am I correct?"

"Yes, I would," Alex responded, wringing her hands.

Madeline narrowed her eyes. "Did you break things off with that good-for-nothing boy?"

Alex sighed. "Yes, Mother. I'd rather spend all my time with Olivia anyway than some boy." _Well, at least I'm not lying about the latter_, Alex thought.

Her mother smiled. "Good, dear. Well, I guess since you've acquiesced to our wishes, I could give you a break. I'll let you off punishment tomorrow."

Alex threw her arms around her mother's neck. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to Olivia and me!"

Her mother smiled wryly and patted her back. "I think I do."

* * *

After bounding back up the stairs two at a time, Alex ran into her room and immediately called Olivia. "Hey, sweetie. What's up?" Olivia answered.

"You'll never guess what just happened!"

"What?"

"Mom's letting me off punishment tomorrow!"

Olivia was equally ecstatic. She jumped up off her bed. "Really? That's great, Alex! We get to spend my birthday together all day!"

"And night," Alex added slyly.

Olivia laughed. "That, too."

"I'm so fucking excited, Liv…I could just scream!" Alex exclaimed, doing just that.

Olivia pulled the phone away from her ear. "Not so loud, sweetie. I value my eardrums. And I'm sure your mom probably does as well."

Alex laughed. "Sorry, Liv."

"So why'd she let you off early?"

"Well, I told her your birthday was coming up Monday and she asked if I had broken up with 'Mike.' I told her I had and that I'd rather spend all my time with you than some boy. So she agreed to let me off punishment."

"That's fantastic, sweetie. I'm so happy for you. And for us," Olivia replied.

"I wish you were here now," Alex said with a sigh. "I just wanna throw myself into your arms and stay there forever."

Olivia chuckled. "I'll be over tomorrow, sweetie. And the next day. And the day after that…"

"I know!" Alex replied with a squeal. "So…what do you want in particular for your birthday?"

"You."

"Well, that's inevitable, silly! I mean besides me!"

"Well, a cake would be nice. I haven't had one for the past two years," Olivia said softly.

Alex felt that her heart would break at Olivia's solemn admission. She thought that a person as wonderful and kindhearted as Olivia should not be denied such a traditional tribute to the day she entered the world. She didn't want to sound like she felt sorry for Olivia because she knew Olivia hated to have people pity her, so she responded simply, "Done."

Olivia smiled. She loved how enthusiastic Alex was to make her birthday special. She was used to being self-sufficient, but she didn't mind the idea of Alex taking care of her every once in awhile. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Olivia. I'd give you the whole world if you asked for it."

Olivia felt her eyes prick with tears. "Oh, Alex. You already are the whole world to me."

Alex smiled at the amount of emotion in Olivia's voice. Trying not to become overwhelmed with emotion herself, she asked, "So how was the first day of tryouts?"

Olivia sighed. "Hell. We had a full hour of endurance tests. Every muscle in my body aches from having to freestyle from one end of the pool to the other. And when I walked outside I thought I'd turn into a popsicle!"

"Do you think you'll make the team?"

"Well, we've only had one day of tryouts, but I'm pretty sure of it," Olivia said with the air of confidence that Alex absolutely loved about her. "Tomorrow is breaststroke and butterfly, then Friday is back. Freestyle has always been my favorite, but I'm not worried about the other strokes."

"You have a killer backstroke, too," Alex complimented her.

"Thanks, babe. How did gymnastics go?"

"Good. We did a lot of floor exercises. I wanna get a little more height on my salto twists after I do my last back handspring, though. "

"I'm sure they were perfect," Olivia said admirably. She'd watched a few of Alex's tumbling classes for cheerleading and considered her to be the best on the team. She knew how hard Alex worked to strive for perfection. Alex loved cheerleading, however, this was mostly because it integrated her passion—tumbling. After pausing briefly, Olivia asked, "Did Abbie try to talk to you?"

"Well, she came over afterwards to say hi and tell me I looked really solid today. She suggested that if we both make the team, we can get together and work on our routines sometime."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I have a routine I'd like to show her," she muttered. "One that involves my foot and her ass."

Alex giggled. "Liv, you're so silly. I'm a little nervous about tomorrow, though. We're doing kips on the uneven bars."

Olivia's brow furrowed. "Sweetie, that's a little dangerous, don't you think? I don't want you falling and getting hurt."

Alex smiled, touched that Olivia was so concerned about her safety. "I'll be fine, Liv."

"Good, cuz I don't want you hopping around on crutches on my birthday."

"Oh, I know, right? That would really suck," Alex agreed.

"Yeah, it would. You nervous about Olivet's quiz tomorrow?" Olivia asked, looking in her closet for a fresh shirt. Having Alex for a girlfriend was definitely a positive influence in rectifying her organization habits, or the lack thereof. After Alex organized her closet by color and garment and got her a giant wicker hamper, Olivia no longer threw her dirty laundry in a sky-high pile on the floor, and she always took care to hang her freshly washed laundry in the closet. Alex had even gotten her in the habit of folding her underwear and tucking it neatly into her drawers.

"Nah. I looked over my notes a little before tryouts and after I got back home. What about you?"

Olivia laughed. "I think you know the answer to that."

"Come on, Liv. Promise me you'll study before tomorrow morning," Alex insisted.

"Ok, ok. But just for you. I wish I could come over and study."

"I know, Liv. Me, too. But if you were over, I wouldn't be able to get any studying done."

"And why is that?" Olivia asked in an amused voice.

"Because you always distract me," Alex told her.

Olivia laughed. "I do not!" she protested.

"Do, too! You're always playing with my glasses or my hair! Or making those big puppy dog eyes at me so I'll cuddle with you."

Olivia grinned. "Hey, I can't help it. Besides. It always works, doesn't it?"

Alex hated to admit it but when Olivia turned those big brown eyes on her like that, she would always do anything she wanted. "I plead the fifth."

Olivia smirked on her side of the line. "I bet. But speaking of your glasses, you know what helps me fall asleep?"

"What? You secretly had a pair made just like them?"

Olivia chuckled. "No, baby. You remember when I sent you that pic I took of you with my cell right before Thanksgiving?"

Alex smiled at the recollection. "The one you snuck and took when I'd fallen asleep studying with my glasses still on?"

Olivia grinned. "Yep. That one."

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Well…I printed it out and sometimes when I'm having trouble falling asleep, I pick it up and stare at it. You look so cute and innocent in it…it makes me doze right off. It's kinda like counting sheep—but better!"

Alex grinned. "Aww, that's really cute, Liv."

"Yeah, I thought so. Anyway, you wanna review stuff tomorrow morning before 1st period?"

"Sure."

"Cool. Well, I need to go take a shower, but I'll give you a call when I'm out, ok?" Olivia said, beginning to undress.

"Ok. Don't forget."

"Trust me, Al. I'd never forget to call you. I love you."

"I love you too, Liv. Bye."

"Bye, sweetie," Olivia said, closing her phone.

Alex snuggled back against her pillows and smiled. _Life can't get any better than this_, she thought happily. She started to pick up her Psychology notebook again but then thought against it. Tearing out a piece of paper, she began making a list of all the things she planned to do for Olivia's birthday instead.


	9. Spoiled

**Chapter 9: Spoiled**

On Saturday afternoon, Alex had Kathy, Elliot, Serena, and Casey meet her at the furniture store to help her look for a waterbed for Olivia. "Ok, Alex. So how are we gonna get this huge waterbed in Olivia's room without her noticing first?" Elliot asked.

"Well, one of us will have to keep her away from the house until it's in there," Alex replied. "I'll call her mom at the college and tell her to come home on her lunch break so the movers can get in."

"But what if she comes home to get something before tryouts? I'm sure she'll wanna come home and change after they're over. Didn't you say you wanted it to be the last surprise of the night?" Elliot asked.

"That's where you all are gonna come in. Make sure she doesn't go home at all until after the party," Alex responded.

"Wow, Liv is oneeeeeee lucky girl," Serena commented.

Alex smiled. "I think I'm luckier."

Casey shook her head and laughed. "You are _so_ smitten."

Alex smirked and replied, "Like you aren't." Casey blushed and hugged Serena to her waist.

"What time is the party gonna be?" Kathy asked.

"Six. We have tryouts Monday afternoon so it'll give us time to get home and get everything set up before Liv gets done."

"Anything special for the cake?" Elliot asked.

"Oh, yeah," Alex answered with a huge smile. "I was thinking about making it basketball themed at first, but since she's doing swimming this semester, it's gonna look like a huge pool. It'll have little swimmers and lanes and everything."

"Aww, that'll be so cute, Alex!" Kathy gushed.

"Too bad it's not summer or it could really be a pool party," Elliot said with a laugh.

Alex grinned. "Well, technically it still can be. We have two pools. One is indoor and it's heated. Dad likes to swim in the winter because it helps his joints." Suddenly, Alex's cell phone began ringing. "Hold on, guys. It's Liv. Shh, don't say anything."

Elliot did a zipper motion over his mouth and the others stood there quietly. "Hey, baby. What's up?" Alex said into her phone.

"Not much. Just wondering where you are. Remember, sweetie? We're supposed to have lunch."

_Shit, _Alex thought. Their lunch plans had completely slipped her mind with all the planning for Olivia's birthday that afternoon. "Oh, um…can you give me about an hour? I'm out doing some shopping with Serena."

Olivia frowned. "Shopping? Alex, since when is shopping with Serena more important than spending time with me?"

Alex sighed. She didn't want Olivia mad at her but she also didn't want to give away the surprise. "I'm sorry, Liv. I guess we just lost track of time."

"Lost track of time? This is our first weekend where we can be together again and you totally blow me off to go shopping?"

"Liv, I didn't blow you off. Listen, we should be done here in a few minutes and then I'll go home and get ready. Ok?"

"Nevermind, Alex. No need to rush back home. Enjoy your shopping expedition," Olivia barked, closing her cell phone.

Alex groaned. "Well, that went well," she muttered sarcastically.

"What's wrong?" Kathy asked.

"Liv's mad. She thinks I blew off having lunch with her to go shopping. She just hung up on me," Alex said sadly.

Elliot laid a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, Alex. Hey, I'll talk to her, ok?"

Alex nodded. "Thanks. I just wish she'd given me a chance to explain."

Serena smiled sympathetically. "Well, you did explain. She just didn't like your explanation."

Alex sighed deeply. "I'll be back, guys. I'm gonna go put the bed on my credit card and give them instructions on delivery." As Alex walked away, she thought, _I really hope Liv gets over this soon._

* * *

While Alex was gone, Elliot's cell phone rang. "It's Liv," he told the rest of them. "Hey, Liv. What's up?" 

"Hey, El. Oh, not much. Other than the fact that Alex just blew me off to shop with Serena."

"Well…Liv, your birthday _is_ coming up. Maybe they're looking for a present for you," Elliot responded matter-of-factly.

Olivia paused to think about what Elliot had said. She mentally kicked herself for not coming to that conclusion first. "You really think so?"

"Well, I dunno. But it is highly possible. I've never known Alex to blow you off."

Olivia sighed. "If that is the case, I hope she's not too mad at me. I really do still wanna spend the day with her. We were supposed to have lunch."

"You need to call her and get the story straight, Liv. It's too close to your birthday for you to be mad at each other. I mean, didn't you guys plan on spending it together?"

"Yeah, we did. You're right, El. The last thing I want is us apart then." _Especially since it will be the first birthday I'll get to spend with someone who loves and cares about me to the extent Alex does, _Olivia thought.

"Yeah, especially over something so trivial. Even if she isn't out shopping for a present, it's not worth creating tension between you two."

"Thanks, El. I'll call her back and apologize. Hopefully she'll still wanna have lunch."

"Great, Liv. I'll talk to you later, ok?"

"Ok. Bye," Olivia said, ending the call and then pressing the speed dial number for Alex.

Alex had just finished getting things arranged for the delivery when her cell phone went off. She immediately recognized her special ringtone for Olivia. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, sweetie," Olivia said nervously. "Listen…I'm sorry about earlier. I wasn't being fair to you and I jumped the gun." She paused to see what Alex's response would be. When Alex didn't say anything immediately, Olivia continued, "Are we still on for lunch?"

Alex smiled and let out a sigh of relief. Neither she nor Olivia could take the other being angry with her for very long. It created an uncomfortable level of anxiety and put a damper on the whole day. "Sure. I'm done here anyway. I'll rush home immediately. It won't take me long to get ready."

Olivia smiled, too. "Good. Just call me when you get home and I'll come over. Maybe I can uh…help you decide what to wear," she suggested with a hint of mischief in her voice.

Alex giggled. "Cool, Liv. That sounds good. I love you."

"Love you, too. See you soon."

When Alex returned to the group, she said, "Ok, guys. We need to hurry. I need to buy sheets and then get home so I can have lunch with Liv."

They left the store and drove to Bed Bath & Beyond. When they entered the store, Alex grabbed a cart and rushed over to the bedding section. "Come on, guys. Help me find some nice sheets for a queen size waterbed."

Kathy admired some satin charmeuse sheets. "These look really nice, Alex."

Serena came over beside her and fingered the sheets. "Ooh…and comfy. I bet they'll definitely come in handy," she told Alex with a wink.

Alex laughed and came over to examine their findings. "Ooh…these _are _nice. So many colors, too! Well…Liv likes navy so I guess that's what I'll get."

Casey went to the pillow section and swatted Serena with a down pillow. "Hey!" Serena protested, grabbing her own pillow and reciprocating the blow.

"These are so soft," Casey commented. "I love down."

Alex picked up a pillow and felt it. "I agree. Definitely need to get her a few of these. Oh, and a down comforter to match."

Elliot chuckled and shook his head. "Liv is gonna be so spoiled."

"Tell me about it," Casey said with a smile, fluffing the pillows.

After stuffing some pillows into the cart, Alex picked up a Siberian white goose down comforter. "When I'm not there, this'll be sure to keep her warm," she said with a smile.

"Alex, isn't the waterbed heated?" Kathy asked.

"Yeah…but she may not want the heat on every night," Alex said matter-of-factly.

Elliot looked at the price tag and gasped. "Alex! That comforter is $500!"

Serena laughed. "That's pocket change to Alex."

Alex shrugged. "Hey, Liv deserves only the best." She threw an aqua and navy striped silk duvet into the cart as well. "Now I think I'm done."

"Damn, Alex. If that's what you're getting Liv for her birthday I don't even wanna think about what you're gonna get her for your anniversary," Casey joked.

Alex laughed. "Ha! You haven't even seen how much the catering costs." She laughed again as everyone's mouths dropped open. Shaking her head, she continued, "Come on, guys. Let's check out."

* * *

Alex had only been out of the shower a few minutes when she heard the doorbell ring. Throwing on a robe, she ran downstairs. "Hey you," she greeted Olivia, giving her a kiss on the cheek. 

"Hey yourself," Olivia said, coming in and closing the door behind her.

They went upstairs to Alex's bedroom. _Thank God I put her presents away as soon as I got back_, Alex thought. Olivia took a seat on Alex's bed and joked, "Nice outfit."

Alex laughed. "I knew you'd find the robe appealing. So where are we going for lunch?"

"I was thinking about Ruby Tuesday's. Is that ok?"

Alex smiled and replied, "Sure." She went over to her closet to pick out something to wear. Sighing, she said, "So many clothes. So little time."

Olivia came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist, burying her nose in Alex's still damp hair. "Mmm…your hair smells so yummy, sweetie."

"Just my hair?" Alex joked.

Olivia chuckled. "Ok, so do you. What ya gonna wear?"

Alex continued sifting through clothes. "That's what I'm trying to decide."

"Let me help you," Olivia said softly, turning Alex around in her arms and brushing her lips across hers. She ran her hands over Alex's back as she kissed her again and again, letting her fingers linger to feel the soft terrycloth of her robe.

Alex pulled back and laughed lightly as Olivia placed soft kisses on her warm neck. "Liv, you're not being much help!"

Olivia let out a muffled laugh against her neck. "I'm helping myself," she mumbled.

Alex laughed again and gently pushed her away. "Come on, Liv. Lunch first, play later."

Olivia pretended to pout. "Aw, Al. You're no fun."

Alex smirked. "Trust me, Liv. I'm loads of fun when my stomach is full."

Olivia grinned. "This I know."

After a few more minutes, Alex had finally settled on a brown sweater and pair of jeans. Olivia lay on her bed, pretending to be asleep. Alex walked over and nudged her. "Come on, Liv. Stop playing."

Olivia opened her eyes and shook her head. "Wow, what time is it? Damn, that was a good nap."

Alex smiled and rolled her eyes. "Oh please. It did not take me that long to pick out something to wear." She pulled her off the bed and dragged her over to her purses. "Hmm…which purse should I carry?"

Olivia sighed. "Sweetie, any of them will look great."

"Don't be silly, Liv! I have to coordinate."

"Well, choose the brown one since it'll match your sweater."

"Which brown one?" Alex asked her, pointing to her row of brown purses. She had all her purses arranged by color and size.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Oh, I don't know, Alex. Just choose that one," she told her, waving her hand at a large brown Prada.

Alex picked up the bag and put her forearm through the straps. "Ok, ready to go?"

"Sweetie, I've been ready for the past couple days."

Alex pulled her out the door. "So silly, Liv."

* * *

Olivia was amazed at the speed Alex was consuming her ribs. "Damn, sweetie. You can really put one away can't you?" 

Alex grinned and wiped her mouth. "What can I say? Shopping works up an appetite."

"What'd you get?" Olivia asked, hoping to sound casual but failing miserably.

Alex was amused by her eagerness to know what she'd bought. She waved a finger at Olivia and shook her head. "It's a secret."

Olivia grinned. _So she was out shopping for my birthday present after all_, she thought. "Come on, I can keep a secret."

Alex smiled slyly. "I'll show you when the time is right."

"Come on, Al. At least give me a hint," Olivia whined.

"Well…it's soft. That's all I'm gonna tell you."

Olivia cocked her head to the side. "Come onnnnnnnnnn. That's barely a hint at all! So many things are soft!"

Alex giggled. "I know."

Olivia sighed and took a bite of her Carolina chicken finger salad. She saw Alex smiling expectantly at her. Olivia grinned and shook her head. "Let me guess. You'd like to try some?" Alex nodded excitedly and moved over to sit beside her. Olivia speared some of her salad with her fork and fed it to Alex. "Good?"

"Very," Alex said, wiping away some honey mustard from her mouth. She picked off a few of her ribs and placed them on a small plate for Olivia.

"Thanks, sweetie," Olivia said appreciatively, tearing off a piece and putting it into her mouth. "Mmm…really good."

"I know," Alex replied with a smile, digging into her baked potato. Olivia tucked her arm around her waist and continued eating.

Several minutes later, they had finished and were looking at the dessert menu. "Ooh, let's get the blondie," Olivia suggested. "It reminds me of you."

Alex swatted her arm. "Hey now!"

"Don't worry. It's a compliment. And it tastes very very good."

"Hey, I'm down for anything that has chocolate chips and caramel sauce," Alex said with a shrug.

When their dessert arrived, Alex was the first to dig in. "This is pretty good, Liv!" she exclaimed, nodding.

Olivia grinned and ate a forkful. "See. Told you it was tasty." Alex tried to feed her some from her own fork but ended up getting caramel sauce all over Olivia's mouth. "Alex!"

Alex giggled. "Sorry, babe." She stuck her finger out to wipe off some of the caramel and sucked it off her finger.

Olivia laughed and shook her head. "Sweetie, why is it that every time you try to feed me you end up getting whatever it is all over my mouth?"

"Well Liv, when you see a fork coming toward your mouth it would be wise to open it up."

After they were done eating dessert, Olivia started to give the waiter her money but Alex stopped her hand. "Sweetie, let me get it," Olivia insisted.

"That's ok, Liv. I got it."

"Baby, seriously. It's fine," Olivia protested, sticking her hand out again. However, Alex started tickling her side and made her drop her hand. "Alex, stop! Alex! That's not fair!" Olivia said, giggling and trying to push Alex's hand away.

Alex handed the waiter her credit card. "No, Liv. I'm paying. After all, it is _your _birthday coming up."

"Well, it's not my birthday yet, sweetie."

"Doesn't matter. We can start celebrating early."

"You spoil me, you know that?" Olivia said with a smile.

Alex smiled at her_. Oh, you have no idea_, she thought in excitement.


	10. Perfect

**Chapter 10: Perfect**

Olivia and Alex were sitting in 2nd period when there was a knock on the door. Mrs. Olivet went to open it to reveal a guy from the florist shop. He was holding a large Agathe crystal vase which held two dozen red and white roses, including an array of balloons which were attached to the vase. "Uh…is there an Olivia Benson in here?"

"Yes, yes. Come in," Mrs. Olivet told him. "She's right over there."

The delivery guy walked over and placed the vase on her desk. "You must be really special to someone," he said with a smile. Alex giggled lightly.

"Who's it from?" Matt Spencer asked.

"Like you have to guess," Jake answered with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh, it's so cute!" Mandi cooed. "Look how gorgeous those roses are!"

"Barf," Abbie muttered under her breath, sparing a glance at Alex.

However, Alex didn't hear Abbie's crude comment. She was too busy watching how Olivia's face lit up when she read the card and how she trailed her fingertips lightly over the delicate rose petals. She looked as if she were going to cry as she tried to take in the whole array of crystal, flowers, and balloons. No one had ever given her anything like it before. She looked over to meet Alex's eyes and said simply, "These are so beautiful, sweetie. Thank you."

Alex saw the tears glistening in Olivia's eyes and felt her own eyes prick with tears. "You're more than welcome, baby. Happy birthday." For a moment, both of them had forgotten where they were as they leaned in to let their lips softly meet.

"Oh, double barf," Abbie said loudly with a roll of her eyes.

Mrs. Olivet cleared her throat as several of their classmates started clapping and cheering. "Girls, remember we are still in class. However, I'll allow you this one indiscretion since it is your birthday, Olivia. I hope you enjoy it."

Giggling, the girls quickly pulled back from one another, both of their faces a deep crimson. "Sorry, Mrs. Olivet," Olivia replied sheepishly.

Mrs. Olivet smiled. "It's all right—this time. Just don't make it a habit."

Alex looked over and glared at Abbie. Olivia followed her line of eyesight and glared as well, angry that Abbie had upset Alex and made such a callous remark on her birthday. Abbie rolled her eyes at them and turned her attention again to the front of the classroom.

Olivia tried to concentrate the rest of the class period but she couldn't keep her eyes off her roses. In a sense, she was mesmerized by them. If she wasn't outlining the roses or the balloons, she was outlining the sculpture of the vase with her fingers.

When class was over, she carefully picked up the vase. "Need some help?" Alex offered her.

Olivia laughed. "Yeah, I think I just might. How am I gonna carry this huge thing around all day?"

Mrs. Olivet overheard her and offered, "Well, you could keep the vase in my room until the end of the day. I wouldn't want something so beautiful to get damaged."

Olivia smiled and carefully brought it over to her desk. "Thank you," she told her as Mrs. Olivet picked up the vase and set it in a vacant area on the floor. Alex grabbed her hand and they walked outside.

"So I take it you liked your roses?" Alex asked with a grin.

"Loved loved loved them!" Olivia exclaimed, wrapping her in a tight hug. "God, I love you so much!"

Alex smiled. "I love you too, beautiful."

Olivia pulled back and frowned. "You think they're safe in Olivet's room?"

Alex wrinkled her brow. "Yeah, I'm sure she'll watch them. She always locks the room when she's away. One time I'd left my notebook and couldn't even get back in to get it because she was gone. Why?"

"Abbie seemed pretty jealous."

Alex frowned. "Yeah, she did. But if she has any sense, she won't go _near_ those roses or I'll knock her teeth down her throat."

Olivia grinned as they began walking to Alex's next class. "Now that's something I'd pay real money to see."

* * *

Olivia said her thanks as everyone at the table greeted her with "Happy Birthday." "So what did you get so far?" Elliot asked. "Wait, keep it clean," he added.

Olivia smirked. "Well…I got this _huge_ bouquet of roses and balloons from Alex. They were delivered during second period."

"So where are they?" Casey asked, anxious to see them.

"In Mrs. Olivet's room. They were way too big for me to carry around all day. I didn't want anything happening to them. The vase is absolutely _gorgeous_, might I add," Olivia told her.

"So do you have any plans for the day?" Serena asked innocently.

"Just to spend it with Alex," Olivia said, smiling at Alex and grasping her hand under the table. "It's been perfect so far."

Serena and Alex exchanged knowing glances. "Do you feel any older?" Kathy asked Olivia.

Olivia shook her head. "No. But I'm sure that'll change after tryouts this afternoon." Everyone laughed.

"How many more days of tryouts do you have, Liv?" Kathy continued.

"Well, tryouts are over on Wednesday, so just two. Well, technically three if you wanna count today."

"Wouldn't it be funny if we were both trying out for swimming?" Alex asked.

"Or gymnastics," Olivia added.

"Then we'd be competing against each other. That'd be really weird," Alex replied.

"You both would lose every time because you'd be too busy making out," Casey joked.

"We would not!" Alex protested.

"Exactly," Olivia chimed in. "There'd be plenty of time before and after meets to do that."

"Oh boy," Elliot remarked.

"When do you find out if you've made the team or not?" Kathy asked.

"Thursday morning," Olivia answered.

"Wednesday afternoon for Serena and me. Right after our final tryouts," Alex added.

"I guess we'll both be going to our girlfriends' meets, huh Liv?" Casey asked.

Olivia looked at Casey and smiled. "I guess so."

"Aw, can't you just imagine Casey and Liv sitting beside each other waving these huge banners around?" Elliot said.

Kathy laughed. "I bet they'll look so cute."

"I bet so, too," Alex agreed, giving Olivia a kiss on the cheek.

After the bell had rung, Olivia began walking in the direction of Alex's class but was shocked when Alex began pulling her the opposite way. "What are you doing, Alex?"

"Well…it's your birthday. So I thought I'd walk you to class the rest of the day."

Olivia beamed in happiness. "Aw, baby that's so sweet of you!"

Alex grinned and began swinging Olivia's hand in her own as they walked down the hall. "Hey, I try."

* * *

Olivia padded into the locker room, shivering and soaking wet from the pool. Every muscle in her body ached, even the ones she never knew existed, and the only things she could think of were a hot shower and warm bed. Stripping off her swimsuit and standing under the hot spray of the shower, she soaped her body and washed away the tension from her muscles.

When she got out, she was surprised to find Alex waiting for her with a towel. "Hey you," Alex said.

"Hey yourself," Olivia said with her signature smirk. She held out her hands to gladly accept the towel but Alex started drying her off instead. "Mmm…you have no idea how good that feels."

"Try me," Alex said with a sly grin.

"Every muscle in my body aches, Alex," Olivia told her with a pout.

"I think I can take care of that," Alex said, rubbing her hands over her abs and then over her hips.

Olivia laughed lightly. "Well, those weren't exactly the muscles I had in mind, but that feels good, too."

Placing her hand on the back of Olivia's neck and letting her eyes drift closed, Alex captured her soft mouth and slipped her tongue inside when Olivia's lips parted. They became lost inside the warm caverns of each other's mouths until a voice interrupted their thoughts.

"Surely this can't be allowed," Abbie said with a sneer as she watched Alex ravage Olivia's mouth and caress her breasts.

The girls pulled back from one another to glare into Abbie's face. Olivia quickly wrapped the towel around herself and said, "Mind your own, bitch."

"All this PDA is getting really old."

"So is your jealousy," Olivia snapped. Abbie just rolled her eyes.

Alex stared Abbie down. "Don't you dare try to ruin Olivia's birthday."

"Let me guess. You were just giving her another present."

"It's really none of your business _what _I give her," Alex snapped.

"Sorry, Alex. You made it my business and everyone else's when you decided to put on a fuck show," Abbie retorted.

"We weren't fucking, you stupid cunt!" Olivia shouted, menacingly stepping into Abbie's face.

Alex lightly put her hand on her arm. "Don't worry about her, Liv. She's not worth getting in trouble for, especially on your birthday." She gently ran her fingers through Olivia's wet locks, working out the tangles. She knew that always soothed Olivia. Sure enough, Olivia relaxed her stance slightly.

Abbie scoffed. "Olivia's a little too violent for you, don't you think?" she asked, turning to Alex.

"Not at all," Alex replied, wrapping her arms around Olivia's waist from behind. "She's just defending me."

"Against me? Are you serious? Alex, I'm not a threat to you."

"That's right, you never will be as long as I'm around," Olivia retorted.

Abbie turned her attention back to Olivia. "You know, _Liv_, if you didn't have such a stick up your ass, I'd actually find you pretty hot," she said, starting to run her hand down Olivia's arm.

Olivia harshly slapped her hand away before she even reached her elbow. "Don't fucking touch me, bitch."

Alex was fuming. She knew Abbie was just trying to get to her, and using Olivia was the easiest way. "Keep your hands off my girlfriend!" she shouted.

Abbie grinned triumphantly and asked, "Now who's jealous?" She knew it was safer to touch Olivia than Alex. She didn't know how serious Olivia was about fighting her if she crossed the line too far concerning Alex, but she didn't want to find out. She could already tell that Olivia was very overprotective of Alex and even the littlest aggravation might make her snap. However, it was fun to see Olivia squirm. Abbie could tell that Olivia was a person who liked to be in control, and she liked to be the one to challenge that control.

"Why don't you just leave us alone?" Alex asked.

"Lighten up, Alex," Abbie told her.

"We'll lighten up when you get the hell away from us," Olivia growled.

Abbie just laughed and threw her bag over her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm leaving. Enjoy your evening, girls. By the way, Liv. Nice tits," she said with a devious smile, walking out the door.

Olivia shook her head and bawled up her fist. "I cannot believe the nerve of that girl. How dare she put her hands on me!"

"Come on, sweetie. Don't let her ruin your birthday," Alex said, kissing her on the forehead.

Olivia sighed. "You're right. She's not worth it." She got dressed and continued, "Sweetie, I'm exhausted. I just wanna go home and take a nap. But I'd love it if you joined me."

Alex quickly fought down a wave of panic. "Um…how about we go back to my place? We can nap together in my bed."

Olivia shrugged. "Sure," she agreed with a smile. "But only if you agree to give me a full body massage."

"You got it," Alex said. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief that Olivia wasn't insisting on going back to her own house.

Olivia wrapped her arm around Alex's shoulders and smiled. "See, that's exactly why I love you."

Alex grinned. "Well, have to be good for something. Hey, I got you a new bikini. Maybe we can go for a special swim later on tonight."

Olivia looked at her as if she were crazy. "Alex, there is no way I'm getting near a pool anymore today. And a bikini? In this cold weather?"

"We'll use the indoor one. I'll make the water nice and warm for you." Alex walked her fingers up and down Olivia's side and added with a pout, "Please, Liv. I'll spend extra time on the pokies when I give you your massage."

Olivia grinned her lopsided grin. "Well, in that case, I'm in. That's not an offer I can refuse."

As they were walking outside, Alex exclaimed, "Oh my god! Did you remember to get the roses?"

Olivia patted her on the back reassuringly. "I sure did, babe. Trust me, I wouldn't forget something as gorgeous and important as that. I picked them up from Olivet before tryouts and put them in my car."

"Good," Alex said with a relieved smile. "Hold on a sec. I need to make a call." She walked a few feet away from Olivia.

"Ok," Olivia replied. She thought it was weird that Alex would make a call away from her.

"Hey Serena, Liv and I are on the way home," Alex whispered into her phone. "Tell everyone to take their places in the fitness room." She closed her cell and walked back over to Olivia.

"Who was that?" Olivia inquired.

"Oh, I was just calling home."

"About what?"

Alex squeezed Olivia's hand and smiled. "I can't tell you right now. But I promise it's not anything that will upset you. In fact, it's quite the contrary."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she trusted Alex. _I guess I'll just have to wait and see_, she thought as they headed to her car.

* * *

When they got to Alex's house, Olivia began to drag her up the stairs. However, Alex planted her feet and held onto the banister. "Alex…come on. Sleepy time," Olivia whined.

"Wait, Liv. There's something I wanna show you. Come on. I promise it won't take long."

Olivia groaned. "All right, all right Alex. But make it quick."

Alex began pulling her in the direction of the fitness room. Olivia stopped and asked, "What's in here?"

Alex grinned. "Don't worry, you'll find out," she assured her, continuing to tug her along.

When they arrived at the fitness room, Alex turned on the lights. Elliot, Kathy, Serena, Casey, Monique, Olivia's mother, and Alex's mother and father all jumped out from behind the equipment and yelled, "Surprise!"

Olivia laughed and placed a hand over her heart. "Wow, guys. If your plan was to almost give me a heart attack for a birthday present, then thanks!" she joked.

Alex draped her arm across her shoulders and said, "That's not all. Look to your left."

The walls to the fitness room were glass all around and the indoor pool room was directly adjoining it. Olivia looked through the glass to see a huge cake, trays of food, presents, balloons, and decorations set up around the pool. A huge banner that said "Happy 17th Birthday, Olivia!" was strung high across the wall. "Oh my god," Olivia gasped softly, feeling her eyes tear up.

Alex grabbed her hand and tugged her inside the pool room, where a digital camcorder was also set up to record the party. Everyone followed after them and excitedly watched Olivia's reaction as she gazed at everything set up before her. The look on her face was one of sheer amazement and appreciation. She turned to Alex as the tears spilled forth down her cheeks and enveloped her in a tight hug. "Sweetie, you didn't have to do all this."

"Yes, I did. You deserve it," Alex said, rubbing her back.

Olivia pulled back and wiped her cheeks. "You know, it's not nice to make me cry on my birthday." The room erupted in laughter. Alex kissed her on the cheek, and her father took out his camera and began snapping pictures.

Olivia walked over to the cake to get a closer look and started crying harder. "This is the most gorgeous cake I've ever seen!" she said through her tears. She gazed at the cake, which resembled a swimming pool. It was a full chocolate sheet cake with blue buttercream frosting for the water. The backstroke flags, lap lanes, diving boards, swimmers, and their swimsuits were all made out of different colored marzipan. The pastel blue and green tiles surrounding the pool were fashioned out of marzipan as well. "Who came up with something so cute?"

"Alex," everyone said in unison.

Olivia turned to Alex again and said, "Thank you so much, sweetie. The little swimmers look so real! Everything else does, too!"

"Well, you can thank the bakery for the wonderful job," Alex replied with a huge smile. "And look. See that swimmer in front of all the others?"

Olivia nodded. "Yeah."

"That's you," Alex continued. "Because you're gonna be first every time."

"Aww!" Olivia cooed. She hugged Alex tightly again.

"Careful, Liv. I can feel my ribs cracking," Alex joked.

Olivia loosened her grip slightly. "God, I love you so much," she whispered in her ear.

"I love you too, Liv," Alex whispered back.

"So how does it feel to be 17, young lady?" Mr. Cabot asked.

"Wonderful," Olivia responded. "Absolutely wonderful."

"Well, who's going to give the lucky girl her birthday spanking?" Mr. Cabot continued.

"I will!" Alex volunteered. "Come on, Liv! Bend over."

Olivia happily obliged as Alex gave her 17 licks. She was just about to stand up when Alex slapped her hard on the ass one more time. "And one more to grow on," Alex said with a satisfied grin.

"Wow, Alex. That was pretty um…bold," Casey whispered in her ear. Alex just smirked.

"Thank you all so much!" Olivia exclaimed, gazing around the semi-circle they'd formed around her and making eye contact with everyone. "This is the best birthday I've ever had!"

Alex hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "That was the plan." She loved to see her so happy and definitely felt like she had opened up a new chapter in Olivia's life. The joy emanating from every pore in Olivia's body was more rewarding than anything she could ever imagine.

Olivia looked at the copious amount of food provided by Maggiano's. There was meat lasagna, four cheese ravioli, veal and mushroom ravioli, fettucine alfredo, angel hair with marinara, stuffed chicken fontina, calamari fritte, garlic shrimp linguine, mussels with white wine and clam sauce, filet mignon, and garlic mashed potatoes. "Mmm…the food smells so delicious! I love Italian!" Olivia exclaimed.

"That's why I had it catered," Alex said, smiling sweetly.

"There's so much to choose from, I don't know what to get!" Olivia said with a laugh.

"Get some of everything," Alex suggested. "That's what I plan on doing."

Olivia patted Alex's stomach. "I bet you do."

"Wow, Alex, did you get the whole menu?" Elliot joked, staring at all the food in astonishment.

"Well…she didn't get the whole menu. Just most of it," Serena chimed in.

"I know, right? I've never seen so much Italian food at one time in my life!" Casey commented.

Alex passed Olivia a plate and said, "Go ahead. Pile up."

Everyone else got behind Olivia and started piling food on their plates. After Alex and Olivia had gotten their food, they sat down beside each other and started digging in. "This is soooooooo good!" Olivia exclaimed around a mouthful.

"I agree," Alex said.

Alex and Olivia fed each other forkfuls. Their chairs were virtually glued to each other, leaving absolutely no personal space. From time to time, either Olivia or Alex would get so lost in each other that they wouldn't even think before rubbing the other's back or slipping kisses on the other's cheek. Madeline regarded the girls' interaction with curiosity. _They sure seem cozy. Their behavior toward each other seems almost…intimate. There isn't something deeper than friendship between them is there?_ she asked herself. _No, I'm just imagining things. Perhaps their bond is so strong that they are just naturally affectionate towards one another. _

"Are you all right?" Serena Benson asked.

Madeline shook her head quickly. "Yes. I guess I just got lost in thought," she responded, smiling at Olivia's mother.

After everyone had finished eating, Alex placed and lit the candles on Olivia's birthday cake. She started singing "Happy Birthday" to Olivia and everyone else joined in loudly. She watched with pride as Olivia stared at the brightly lit cake in awe, tears glistening in her chocolate brown eyes. "Go on, Liv. Make a wish," Alex instructed softly.

Olivia looked at Alex and smiled. Alex's father stood poised with the camera. Olivia inhaled deeply and blew out all 17 candles in one breath. There was clapping and cheering all around.

After plenty of pictures had been taken of Olivia or both Alex and Olivia with the cake, everyone got a slice and sat down again. Alex and Olivia fed each other birthday cake—with their hands. Alex wiped away some icing from the side of Olivia's mouth and sucked it off her finger. Mrs. Cabot's previous thoughts about the nature of the girls' closeness returned, but she quickly dismissed them when her husband initiated a conversation about the newest stock peaks.

After everyone had finished eating cake, Alex told Olivia, "Hey, now it's time to open up your presents!"

Olivia grinned. "You spoil me, you know that?"

Alex giggled. "No more than you spoil me." She turned to her father and asked, "Got the camera ready?"

"As always," John answered.

Olivia began excitedly ripping off the wrapping paper to her presents. Among them were clothes, shoes, bath gift sets, movies, CDs, and a Seiko Kinetic Dive watch (from Alex's mother). Olivia decided to open up Alex's presents last, which included Speedo air seal goggles and a navy mesh equipment bag, a silicone Speedo swim cap, and both a one-piece and two-piece Speedo swimsuit. "I love Speedo," Olivia said, grinning widely.

"I know," Alex responded. "I guess I kinda went on a Speedo shopping spree."

Everyone laughed. Monique added, "Yeah, we can definitely tell."

Olivia squealed when she opened Alex's last gift, which was an iPod. "Alex, you got me an iPod?!"

"Yep. Video," Alex answered with a grin.

Olivia threw her arms around Alex. "I really wanted one of these! Man, I can't wait to go hook this thing up to my computer! Thank you!"

Alex smiled and stroked her hair. "You're very welcome, sweetie."

When Olivia had finished admiring her presents, Alex announced, "Ok, everybody. This is a pool party! Time to go swimming!"

The adults all looked at each other. "Nah, I think we'll pass," Serena Benson declined with a smile.

"I second that," Madeline agreed. "We'll leave the pool lollygagging up to you kids." She looked over at Alex and said pointedly, "Try not to drown each other." Alex snickered.

Olivia hugged Alex again and said, "God, I love you so much."

"I love you, too. Come on, Liv. Let's go put on your new bikini!" Alex said excitedly.

"You got me _another_ swimsuit?" Olivia asked incredulously.

"Yep. But this one is especially for the pool party," Alex said with a grin.

Olivia chuckled and shook her head. "Whatever you say, babe." She followed Alex into the bathroom and undressed. "Maybe I'll just go skinny dipping," she joked.

"Um…I dunno about that. I don't think our parents would approve," Alex responded with a laugh. "Come on, try it on."

"I hope my boobies don't hang outta this one," Olivia said.

Alex giggled. "I think they'll fit nicely inside." She eagerly held out the solid brown bikini for Olivia to take.

Olivia put on her bikini and had Alex tie the straps at the neck and back. She did a 360 degree turn and asked, "So how do I look?"

"Absolutely gorgeous," Alex responded, tweaking her nipples through the fabric. "Very sexy."

"So where's yours?" Olivia asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Alex replied, pulling off her clothes to reveal a light blue bikini that accentuated her small curves very well.

Olivia ran her hands over her chest. "Ooh, I love how your boobs fill out the cups."

Alex grinned. "So do I. Come on. Let's get outta here before our friends start getting crazy ideas."

The two walked back to the pool room to find that everyone else had on their swimsuits and were waiting patiently. "Glad to see you two made it back out," Elliot teased with a smirk.

"Haha, El. Very funny," Olivia commented dryly. "So is everyone ready to hop in?"

"You bet," Monique answered.

Olivia bent over so Alex could climb onto her back. "Come on, Al. Hop on."

"Uh…I dunno, Liv. That seems a little scary," Alex said hesitantly.

"Oh come on, babe. I promise I won't let you get hurt. Just hold on tight, ok?"

"Ok," Alex conceded, climbing on. "But if you drop me, I swear I'll kick your ass."

Olivia chuckled and walked over to the diving board. She climbed up the ladder and walked to the end of the board. "Ready?" she asked, gripping Alex's legs tighter around her waist.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Alex said somewhat nervously.

Olivia sensed the hesitation in her voice. "Sweetie, do you trust me?"

"Yes," Alex answered.

"Good," Olivia responded. "Now don't be nervous. You have nothing to worry about as long as you're under my care, ok?"

"Ok," Alex answered more confidently. She loved how safe Olivia made her feel, even in the least tenable situations.

Serena stood by Casey with Alex's camera. "Ready guys?" Serena asked.

"Ready," Olivia answered as Serena snapped a picture of them on the diving board. Olivia bounced lightly a couple times and then sailed smoothly into the water. When they resurfaced, everyone started clapping.

"Wow, Liv. You have great form even with Alex on your back!" Kathy told her.

"Thanks, Kathy," Olivia responded. She looked over at Serena. "Did you get a picture of us in the air?"

"Yep," Serena told her. "A couple, actually."

Olivia wrapped her arms around Alex's neck. "The water feels really nice, sweetie."

"I thought you'd like it," Alex responded. Madeline came in and offered to relieve Serena of the camera so she and Casey could get in the pool.

Olivia whispered in Alex's ear, "Well, I guess there will be no untying your bikini now."

Alex swatted Olivia on the arm. "Hey now. At least we'll have pics of everyone."

Olivia's mother came in and threw a huge beach ball into the pool. "Just thought you all might like to play," she said.

"Oh, most definitely," Olivia answered, taking the ball and serving it overhand to Elliot, Kathy, and Monique's side.

Monique bumped the ball to Alex, who hit it back to Kathy. After a few more rounds of hitting the ball back and forth, Olivia suggested that they do something else.

"What do you wanna do, Liv?" Elliot asked.

Olivia looked at Alex with a wicked grin and waggled her eyebrows. "How about water tag?"

"Sure, Liv. If you promise to chase someone _other than_ me," Alex joked.

Everyone swam around trying to avoid getting tagged, but Alex ended up tagged by her girlfriend anyway. Olivia gleefully splashed water in Alex's face. "Liv!" Alex spluttered as she tried to rub the water out of her eyes. Olivia just giggled and swam off.

Alex caught up to Olivia and whispered in her ear, "You're so lucky our moms are watching us cuz if they weren't, I'd pants you in front of everyone."

Olivia smirked. "Not if I pantsed you first." She then picked Alex up in her arms.

"Liv! Put me down!"

Olivia grinned. "All right, I'll put you down." She tossed Alex into an area of the pool several feet away.

Alex screamed. Everyone just laughed, especially Olivia. "Liv, you're so gonna pay for this!" Alex promised.

Olivia swam over and whispered, "I just might look forward to that."

* * *

Serena, Casey, Monique, Elliot, Kathy, Alex, and Olivia all drove back to Olivia's house. "Hey Serena, do you have the blindfold?" Alex asked.

"I sure do," Serena answered with a mischievous grin, handing it over to Alex.

"Alex, come on," Olivia whined. "Did you guys secretly get me a stripper or something?"

"No, I got you something much better," Alex said, tying the blindfold around Olivia's head. "And be sure to close your eyes, too."

"Why, Alex? I'm blindfolded."

"Just to make sure," Alex insisted.

Olivia laughed. "This better be damn good, Alex."

Alex led Olivia into her bedroom and pulled her blindfold off. "You can open your eyes now, sweetie."

When Olivia opened her eyes, she was speechless for a moment when she saw the bed. When she finally found her voice, Olivia exclaimed, "Oh my god! Oh my god! What is this?"

"Looks like someone got you a new bed," Elliot quipped.

"Well, I know that much," Olivia replied. Alex pulled back the covers and Olivia walked over to examine the bed more closely. "Ooh… I love satin! The pillowcases even match the sheets!"

Alex laughed. "Well…sheets and pillowcases usually come in a set, Liv."

Olivia laughed in return. "That's true, huh? I'm just so excited I can't even think straight." Elliot opened his mouth to say something sarcastic but Olivia smirked and advised, "Elliot, don't even." He just laughed in response.

Alex smiled and rubbed her back. "And I'd like to add that it's not just any bed, Liv. Go on, take a seat."

Olivia looked at Alex in astonishment. "You didn't—?"

"Just see for yourself," Alex told her, grinning widely.

Olivia sat down on the bed. She started screaming when she realized it was a waterbed. She jumped up and threw her arms around Alex, almost knocking her down.

"Ow, Liv. Remember the ribs! I think I'm gonna be in a cast before the night is over!" Alex joked. Olivia pulled back slightly and pressed her lips hard against Alex's. Laughing, Alex told her, "Go back and read the card."

Olivia picked up the card and began reading aloud, "Olivia, you stole my heart and I never want it back. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you. You said you always wanted a waterbed, so I just wanted to make your dream come true on your special day. You may not have had the best of luck on your other birthdays, but I hope your 17th will always be one you'll treasure. I love you more than words can say—Alex." She burst into tears and hugged Alex tightly. "Oh baby…you really didn't have to do this! But thank you so much. I love you."

Alex comfortingly rubbed her back. "You're welcome, sweetie. And I love you, too."

Olivia turned to the rest of them. "Were you all in on this, too?"

"Yep," Elliot answered. "Well, everyone but Monique. We were all at the store picking the bed out when you called on Saturday."

Olivia's mouth dropped open. Shaking her head and smiling, she said, "You sneaky bastard. I bet Alex was standing right beside you when I called you."

"Nah, she was off paying for it, then," Elliot answered with a grin. Alex just giggled.

Olivia sighed. "Thank you all again so much. Never in a million years would I have thought that my 17th birthday would be so perfect." She went over to hug each of their friends.

Kathy smiled. "Glad we could make it so great for you."

Serena put her arm around Casey. "Hey guys. What do you say we get outta here and give these two some much needed privacy?"

"I agree," Monique remarked. "With a present like that from your girl, privacy is almost expected."

Olivia and Alex both laughed. "Hey, don't tell me any of you actually thought the purpose of this bed was just for sleeping!" Alex joked.

Elliot grinned and headed for the bedroom door. "Trust me, I don't think any of us did."

Casey patted Olivia on the back before walking out the door and said, "Enjoy your _special_ present from Alex." Alex and Olivia exchanged amused glances.

After saying goodbye to their friends, Olivia pulled Alex down onto the bed with her. "So I take it there's no private stripper on the agenda tonight?" Olivia teased, resting on an elbow facing Alex.

"Well, you know…I could be your private stripper tonight," Alex said with a wicked grin.

Olivia licked her lips. "I'm into that," she replied in a husky voice.

Alex smiled and pushed Olivia flat on the bed. She leaned down and barely brushed her lips across Olivia's and moved back, causing Olivia to lean forward to try to capture them again.

"Ah, I see what this is. A little lip chase?" Olivia teased.

Alex just laughed as she kept up her game of cat and mouse, giving her a taste of what was to come but leaving Olivia wanting more. Finally, Olivia had had enough. She tangled her hand in Alex's hair and passionately brought her mouth back to hers, pushing her tongue deep inside. After several moments passed, Alex broke away from Olivia and got up and walked to the end of the bed. She began dancing sexily and slowly removing her jeans. Olivia was captivated by the sensual sway of her hips. Alex stopped to play with the lace of her underwear, never letting her eyes leave Olivia's. "Would you like me to take them off?"

Olivia could feel her wetness spreading. "Yes," she stated.

Alex complied with Olivia's wishes, slowly sliding them down her legs, stepping out of them, and throwing them across the room. Climbing back on the bed, she straddled Olivia's waist and let her fingers rest at the ends of her shirt. "Do you want me to take this off, too?"

Olivia nodded. Alex smiled and slowly removed her shirt. She reached around her back and unlatched her bra with one quick flick of her wrist and pulled it down her arms. Giggling lightly, she teasingly dragged it down Olivia's face. Olivia stuck out her tongue to taste the lace, in which Alex's wonderful scent was embedded. Alex threw the bra to the side and leaned down to brush her lips across Olivia's again before dragging her tongue down her neck.

Working her way down her body and leaving kisses in her wake, she pulled off Olivia's pants and underwear and ran her hands up and down her legs and thighs. Moving down to her feet, Alex took each one of Olivia's toes into her mouth, sucking gently.

"Oh, that feels so good, baby," Olivia commented, closing her eyes. Alex just smiled.

When she came back up her body, Olivia took her into her arms and kissed her. As always, Alex's mouth was warm and inviting. Olivia rolled them over, linking the fingers of one hand through Alex's and raking her nails across the satin sheets. She had begun to lick a trail down her torso but Alex flipped them back over.

"Alex! I wanna—" Olivia protested.

Alex smiled and put a finger to Olivia's lips. "For the rest of the night, I don't want to hear a word out of you unless it's to tell me how much you like it and how good it feels. Understood?"

Olivia nodded.

"And you will do exactly what I tell you. Understood?"

Olivia nodded again.

"Take off your shirt and bra."

Olivia did as she was told. Alex stared at her breasts, which even after all the time they'd been dating never ceased to amaze her. She straddled Olivia's waist and slowly dragged her hands up and down her torso. She then leaned down to kiss her full breasts, causing Olivia to moan in pleasure.

"You like that?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Olivia breathed.

"Well how about this?" Alex continued, licking in the valley between and then across the swell of her breasts. Using her fingers, she gently massaged the soft flesh, eliciting more moans from Olivia.

Olivia threw her head from side to side as Alex mercilessly licked and sucked her nipples. When she wanted to be especially teasing, she would slowly trace her tongue over her areolas, reveling in the feel of Olivia's Montgomery glands against her tongue. The sensations Alex was giving her were so intense that Olivia could feel her pulse pounding in her ears.

"Play with your nipples," Alex ordered. Olivia slowly brought her hands up to her breasts and began fingering her nipples. "Pull them," Alex instructed. Olivia did as she was told. Alex licked her lips and then engulfed Olivia's mouth in a fiery kiss before sliding down her body and nestling between her legs.

Alex was pleased to find that Olivia was completely soaked. The strong scent of Olivia's arousal was absolutely breathtaking. Alex covered her sex in gentle kisses before swirling her tongue around to capture some of Olivia's wetness. She slid three fingers into her warm opening and thrust deeply while still continuing to bathe her sex with her tongue. Olivia began whimpering; it was her way of barely audibly begging Alex for release. Alex looked up from her motions and scolded, "Nuh uh. Not a sound."

Suddenly, Alex got an idea. She removed her fingers and turned around so that she was facing Olivia's feet. Olivia lowered Alex's center to her mouth and began massaging it with her tongue. After parting Olivia's folds with her fingers, Alex allowed her tongue to resume the same intimate caresses on Olivia's sex, and she tried not to get distracted by the passion Olivia was creating inside her. The gentle motion of the bed only intensified the sensations. It wasn't long before they were both consumed by multiple waves of pleasure.

After Olivia had had a chance to recover, she remarked, "Damn Alex, if you're gonna make love to me like that, can it be my birthday everyday?"

Alex giggled and traced around her navel with a finger. "You know…we've never done that before."

Olivia grinned. "Hey, I'm glad we finally did. I always wanted to but I didn't know if you'd be comfortable with it."

"You've never done it before?" Alex asked curiously.

"Nope. How'd you like it?"

"Well, it was um…interesting to say the least," Alex responded with a twinkle in her eye.

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "Wanna try it again? We can switch positions."

Alex smiled and tenderly kissed Olivia's lips. "I'd love to."

They spent the rest of the night and well into the morning making love to one another before they realized that they were only going to get a couple hours of sleep before having to get up for school that morning.

Alex groaned. "Man, I wish your birthday was on a Friday or Saturday."

Olivia sighed and twirled her finger in Alex's hair. "Tell me about it." She rolled over and draped her arm across Alex's stomach. "Let's not go to school today."

Alex smiled. "Are you asking me to play hooky?"

Olivia grinned at her. "Yes."

"But Liv…we can't both be absent all day and then just show up at tryouts."

Olivia pouted. "But pookie…"

Alex tapped her on the nose. "Come on, Liv. Let's just go to sleep. The day will probably go by really fast anyway."

Olivia sighed. "I don't know if I can sleep, sweetie. I'm so wired up."

"How about if I give you a massage?" Alex asked hopefully. She knew that they both needed to rest so they would have adequate energy for tryouts.

Olivia smirked. "You expect that to make me go to sleep?"

"It'll be innocent. I promise."

Olivia pouted again. "But I dunno if I want it to be innocent…"

"Just trust me, Liv. You'll enjoy it," Alex promised her, beginning to knead the muscles of her back. She massaged in even, firm strokes down the length of her back, imagining those same muscles rippling as Olivia glided effortlessly through the water. "Does that feel good?"

"Mmm…very good."

"Now close your eyes…imagine how good sleeping in this bed for the first time will feel," Alex instructed.

Olivia closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into the pillows. "These pillows are so soft," she mumbled.

"They're down," Alex whispered, finishing up her massage. "So is the comforter."

Olivia smiled. "I love it when you pamper me."

"And I love pampering you," Alex responded, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

After Olivia set the alarm, she and Alex nestled in each other's arms, listening to the sound of the other's breathing, until both of them drifted off into a peaceful slumber.


	11. Nuances

**Chapter 11: Nuances**

Elliot regarded Alex and Olivia with concern. "You two seem a little sluggish today. Long night?" he asked with an amused smirk.

Olivia stopped poking around at her food and gave him a look. "Don't start, Elliot."

"Gee, I wonder how the night was spent," Casey remarked, nudging Serena with her elbow. Serena burst out laughing. Alex shot daggers at them with her eyes.

"Sweetie, I told you we should've skipped," Olivia whined. She yawned. "Man, I'm so tired!"

"Well baby, just imagine how comfy your bed will feel once tryouts are over today," Alex replied, rubbing her back.

"Thank god I still have that pack of Red Bull in my trunk," Olivia said. "Or else I don't know how I'd get through tryouts."

"Hey, don't drink them all. I'll need one, too," Alex told her, taking a fry off Olivia's tray. She frowned. "Liv, why didn't you get any ketchup?"

Olivia smirked. "Because I didn't think my girlfriend would be wolfing down my fries."

Alex shrugged. "Hey well, the pizza looked better behind the glass." She laid her head on Olivia's shoulder. "Livvie…will you get me some ketchup?"

Olivia blushed at the mention of Alex's nickname for her. Everyone else at the table snickered, including Alex when she saw Olivia's obvious embarrassment. Olivia frowned at her. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be on _my_ side, Alikins?"

Alex turned red. "Never mind, I can do without the ketchup. We only have a few minutes left anyway," she mumbled.

"Livvie? Alikins?" Casey asked, laughing hysterically. "Hahaha, what the fuck?"

Both Alex and Olivia turned their attention to Casey. "Hey, it sounds better than The Casester," Olivia snapped.

Casey looked at Serena in surprise. "You told them you nicknamed me that?"

Serena burst out laughing again. "Well, I told Alex. And by default that means Olivia."

Casey rolled her eyes. "Thanks a lot, babe," she said sarcastically.

"Aww girls, don't feel bad! You should hear the nicknames I have for Elliot," Kathy gushed with a huge grin on her face.

Everyone turned their attention to Kathy. "Nick_names_?" Olivia asked in amusement. "As in plural?"

Elliot looked at Kathy in panic. "Um…Kathy, I really don't think that's necessary."

"Oh come on, El. They're nothing to be ashamed of," Kathy responded.

"Spill!" Alex ordered.

Elliot looked at Kathy with pleading eyes, which of course, Kathy ignored. "Well, there's this one that I gave him because it reminds—"

Kathy was cut off by the shrill sound of the bell ringing. "Saved by the bell," Elliot said gratefully, pushing his chair back and standing up.

Olivia smirked at Elliot. "This isn't over, Stabler. We will continue this little discussion tomorrow."

Elliot laughed. "Don't count on it."

As they were walking over to put their trays up, Alex poked Olivia's arm and said, "Next time you get fries make sure to get ketchup."

"Anything for you, Alikins," Olivia said, tugging on Alex's ponytail. Their friends laughed loudly behind them. Alex swatted at Olivia's hand and put her tray down briefly to tighten her ponytail again.

"Alex, you're holding up the line," Serena whined.

"Well, tell Olivia to stop playing with me!" Alex complained. That brought forth another round of laughter from their friends. Alex turned crimson when she realized exactly how that had sounded. "Oh, never mind," she mumbled.

When they were outside Alex's classroom, Olivia gave her a quick kiss on the lips and said, "I'll see you 6th period, ok?"

"Ok. I'll text you," Alex promised.

"Good," Olivia said with a smile. "Don't miss me too much now."

Alex laughed. "Trust me, I won't try too hard."

Olivia playfully shoved her shoulder. "Hey!"

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding." Alex gave her a small kiss on the nose. "Love you."

"You too, babe." Olivia acted like she was turning to leave but quickly turned back around and pulled down Alex's ponytail.

Alex turned around in shock and exclaimed, "Liv! Now my hair is all messed up!" She frantically tried to fix her hair back in a ponytail.

"Hey, it always looks like that after we've—"

Alex hit her with her notebook and said, "Liv, class—_now_." Olivia just laughed and walked off.

* * *

Alex had just completed her exercise on the vault and was walking back over to join the rest of the girls when she saw Olivia standing in the doorway. Smiling, she walked over to her. "Hey, come to see the show?"

"Yeah, we got out early. I thought I'd come by and see my little gymnast in action," Olivia said with a grin.

"Swim tryouts letting out early? _Wow_. That's definitely weird. So did you see me vault?" Alex asked excitedly.

"You bet. I came in just in time. You looked amazing," Olivia praised her.

"Well, thank you." Alex placed her hands on Olivia's cheeks. When she removed them, she giggled at the traces of magnesium carbonate white chalk left behind.

Olivia smiled. "Very funny, sweetie."

"That's what you get for pulling down my ponytail earlier!"

Olivia laughed and put her arm around her waist as they began walking back over to the rest of the girls. "So how many more little jumps and flips do you have to do?"

Alex rolled her eyes and laughed. "I'm done for the day, actually. Just have to wait for everyone else to finish vaulting."

"Damn. Next time I'll just have to get here a little earlier," Olivia said, smiling sweetly at her. They sat down on the bottom row of bleachers together and watched the rest of the tryouts.

When they got to the locker room, Alex pulled her shower caddy and towel out of her locker and told Olivia, "Hey, I'm gonna take a quick shower and then I'll be back, ok?"

Olivia took Alex's hands into her own and pulled her in to kiss her lips. "Don't stay in there too long, sweetie."

"I won't," Alex promised, bouncing off. "Too bad you've already showered or you could join me!" she called out as she disappeared around the corner. Olivia shook her head and chuckled to herself before going over to the sink to wash the chalk off her face.

Several minutes passed, and Olivia was sitting on the bench reading when Abbie came up to her. "Hey, Liv."

Olivia glared at her and snarled, "It's _Olivia _to you. What the hell do you want?"

Abbie sighed at Olivia's hostility. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I was being a bitch."

Olivia just stared at her before responding, "Yeah, you were."

"It's just so hard to see someone you really like with someone else," Abbie explained. "But it seems like Alex really loves you, so I guess I have to respect that."

At first, Olivia didn't know how to respond to what Abbie had told her. She had never expected her to actually _admit_ why she was being so catty. In the end, she just simply replied, "Ok."

Alex came around the corner in her towel. She frowned when she saw Abbie standing in front of Olivia. "Abbie, what are you doing here?"

Abbie turned her attention to Alex. "I was apologizing to Olivia for the way I acted yesterday. I was gonna stick around so I could apologize to you, too."

Alex folded her arms over her chest. This was just too good to be true. "Is that so?"

"Yes, Alex," Abbie responded.

Alex smirked. "Are you sure your fingers aren't crossed behind your back or something?"

Abbie laughed. "Trust me. They aren't. I just figured we should all try to get along. I mean, we do see each other everyday."

_Thankfully not too much of each other_, Olivia thought. "Yeah, we do."

Abbie shifted her bag on her shoulder. After an uncomfortable silence, she said, "Well, I'll let you guys get back to doing…um, whatever it was you planned on doing. See you around."

Olivia gave her a tight smile. Alex gave a slight wave and said, "Later."

"She's so full of shit," Olivia said when she was sure Abbie was out of earshot.

Alex shrugged and took a seat beside Olivia on the bench. "Who knows. I just hope she keeps down the drama for awhile."

"Maybe I should hook her up with Rebecca," Olivia joked.

"Haha, yeah. She needs someone to keep her occupied. But I think Lexie would be more her type. They'd actually make a really hot couple."

"Not hotter than us," Olivia replied.

Alex grabbed her hand and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "That's right. We're the dynamic duo."

Olivia smiled. "Yep. Alex and Olivia Benson."

Alex's mouth dropped open and she started laughing. "Wait a sec. Why Alex and Olivia _Benson_? Why not Alex and Olivia Cabot?"

Olivia grinned. "Because it has a nice ring to it. Plus, I'm older."

"Well, I'm taller," Alex said with a smug smile. She stuck her tongue out at her.

"Not by that much! Besides, I'm stronger." Olivia flexed her muscles.

As a reflex, Alex reached out and felt her biceps. "Hey now. My muscles are getting pretty pumped for gymnastics. I think I can give you a run for your money."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Oh really now?"

Alex grinned. "Yep."

"Ok." Olivia rested her elbow on the bench and wiggled her fingers at Alex. "Let's arm wrestle."

Alex firmly grasped Olivia's hand and said smiling, "I thought you'd never ask."

"Ready?" Olivia asked.

"Yep," Alex answered.

Olivia tightened her grip around Alex's hand and began to push forward. Alex gritted her teeth and struggled against her, but the force of Olivia's strength was too much. Knowing that she was going to lose, Alex yelled out, "Ouch, Liv! You're hurting me!"

Olivia panicked and immediately stopped pushing Alex's arm back. All Alex needed was that split second and she quickly forced Olivia's arm down. Alex laughed victoriously.

"Alex! You cheated!" Olivia whined.

Alex giggled. "Haha, fooled ya."

Worry crinkled Olivia's brow. "I didn't really hurt you, did I?" she asked, rubbing Alex's hand. Memories flooded back from the locker room incident the previous semester.

"No, Liv. Of course not," Alex assured her.

Nonetheless, a downtrodden look clouded Olivia's face. "Don't joke around about that, Alex. You know how I feel. It reminds me of something that never should've happened in the first place."

Alex wrapped her arm around her shoulders and pulled Olivia to her comfortingly. "Oh, Liv. I'm sorry."

Olivia gave a small smile. "It's ok, sweetie. I just got a little scared is all."

Alex gave her a hug. "I can understand that. But you didn't hurt me. Besides, I like that you're strong."

Olivia smirked. "Why's that?"

"Because you can pick me up and carry me around," Alex responded, a huge grin crossing her face.

Olivia laughed. "You love my chivalrous side, don't you?"

"You know it. But soon I'll be able to carry _you_ around," Alex responded, flexing the muscles of one arm.

Olivia squeezed them lightly and cooed, "Aww, you're so cute." She got up off the bench, picked her up in her arms, and began swinging her around.

"Liv, you're making me dizzy! My towel is gonna fly off!" Alex protested.

Olivia stopped spinning and said, "Hell, I'm making myself dizzy." She gave her a lopsided grin and asked, "And what's wrong with your towel flying off?"

Alex shook her head. "You're incorrigible, Liv. Now put me down so I can get dressed."

As soon as Alex was dressed, she looked at Olivia expectantly. "What?" Olivia asked.

"Carry me to the car."

Olivia burst out laughing. "Alex, you're not serious."

"Oh, I'm completely serious." She pretended to pout at Olivia.

Olivia looked into Alex's ocean-blue eyes and knew she couldn't refuse her anything. "Alex, you and those eyes." She lifted Alex up in her arms again and kissed her on the cheek. "You know I'd do anything for you, right?"

Alex grinned and wrapped her arms around her neck. "I know."

Olivia smiled and began walking out with her. "You're lucky I don't plan on throwing you in the pool."

Alex gasped. "Olivia Benson, don't you dare!"

Olivia chuckled. "Don't worry, babe. I don't want you to kill me in my sleep tonight."

Alex grinned again. "And just how do you know I plan on spending the night?"

Olivia stopped abruptly. "Wait, you aren't?"

Alex giggled. "I am. I just wanted to see your reaction."

Olivia shook her head. "Oh, Alex. The things you do to me."

"But you love me anyway."

Olivia smiled. "Yep."

* * *

As soon as they got back to Olivia's house, they went straight to her bedroom. Olivia changed into a tank top and pajama pants and then collapsed onto her bed next to Alex. "God, this bed feels soooooooo good, Alex."

"Tell me about it," Alex agreed.

"Baby, aren't you gonna get hot in that sweater?" Olivia asked.

Alex stopped to ponder for a moment and answered, "Yeah, you're probably right." She pulled off her sweater to reveal a tank top underneath. She then tossed the sweater across the room.

"Hey, wasn't it you who made me start throwing my clothes in the hamper?" Olivia asked jokingly.

Alex laughed and stared up at the ceiling. "Well, I plan to put it back on when we get up." She turned on her side to face Olivia. "You know something?"

"What?"

"Tweety hasn't gotten to see the new bed, yet."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Rule number 1. No Tweety."

Alex actually looked hurt. "And why not?"

Olivia slid closer to her and wrapped her arms around her. "Because I want you all to myself all the time."

"Come on, Liv. This bed is certainly big enough for all three of us." She pouted at Olivia. "We don't want Tweety to feel unloved."

Olivia sighed. "All right. But he can never sleep between us."

"Deal," Alex said, shaking her hand.

Olivia shook her head. "You and your toys."

Alex smirked. "I wouldn't talk if I were you. You seem to have a few toys of your own." She jerked her head in the direction of Olivia's nightstand drawers.

Olivia gasped. "Hey now. Those aren't just for me."

Alex gave her a stern look. "Never in a million years, Liv."

"Aw, why not?" Olivia demanded.

"They just make me nervous, is all."

Olivia chuckled. "Oh, Alex. They don't bite."

Alex laughed. "I'm not so sure about that. And I'm not anxious to find out, either." She buried her face in a pillow and pulled the comforter up more. "I'm so sleepy."

Olivia closed her eyes. "Me, too. Man, I feel like I could sleep for days."

"You're tellin' me," Alex mumbled, turning over.

Olivia snuggled up to her back and deeply inhaled the scent of her hair. Rubbing a hand over Alex's bare arm, she commented, "Your skin's so smooth."

Alex smiled. "Mmm. Keep doing that. It'll make me fall right to sleep."

After a few minutes, both of them were almost asleep when Olivia said quietly, "I love you, Alex Benson."

Alex's eyes flew open. "Wait a minute," she said, laughing. "I thought we got this settled, Olivia _Cabot_."

"How about Benson-Cabot?"

"Or Cabot-Benson," Alex suggested.

"B comes before C, Alex."

"I'm too tired to do this now. We'll come to a resolution later."

"Deal," Olivia said with a smile, holding Alex tighter.

* * *

Serena Benson opened the door to Olivia's bedroom and peeked in. She had to suppress a gasp when she saw Alex and Olivia cuddled up together asleep, Olivia's arm wrapped snugly around her waist. _This is certainly odd. Exactly how close are these two_? she wondered. After pondering the issue back and forth in her mind, she decided to just brush it off. _Well, if my daughter was a lesbian, I'm sure I'd know it. I guess girls are just closer these days. It's probably nothing to be alarmed about. They are fully clothed, after all. _She quietly closed the bedroom door and walked back down the hall. 


	12. Innocence

**Chapter 12: Innocence**

Thursday at lunch, Olivia set her tray down and asked excitedly, "Guess what, guys?"

"What?" everyone asked.

"I made varsity!" she announced, beaming happily.

"That's great, Liv!" Kathy congratulated her.

"Congrats, Liv," Elliot said with a huge grin. "Now if Kathy would just let me try out for wrestling…"

Kathy swatted his arm. "Hey, swimming is a lot less dangerous than having some 200 pound guy manhandle you."

"Actually, I think it would probably be me manhandling the 200 pound guy," Elliot responded confidently.

"Always the tough guy," Kathy whispered with a smile, squeezing his hand under the table.

"Alex and I made varsity gymnastics, too," Serena announced proudly. "But so did Abbie," she added with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

"Don't remind me," Alex responded dryly. She looked back at Olivia. "Everyone, let's give our school's star swimmer a big round of applause," she continued, patting Olivia on the back. "And since you're gonna need to keep those muscles in tip-top shape, I think you would get great exercise if you went over and got me some honey mustard."

Everyone laughed and Olivia rolled her eyes. "What do I get in return?" she asked.

Alex grinned and leaned over and whispered something sensual in Olivia's ear. Olivia hopped up and headed to the condiment station. When she came back with two paper cups filled with honey mustard, she placed them on Alex's tray and said, "You better make good on your promise."

"I'll have what she's having," Casey joked, gesturing at Olivia.

Serena nudged her. "You sure about that? You never know with those two."

Alex dipped a chicken finger into her sauce and munched happily. "I love you," she said, leaning over and leaving a sticky kiss on Olivia's cheek.

Olivia wiped the honey mustard off with a napkin and smiled. "I'm sure you do."

"Ha! I'd make Serena get her own," Casey declared.

Serena looked at Casey. "Oh really?" she asked, folding her arms. "I want some more honey mustard, too."

Olivia, Elliot, and Kathy snickered. Alex looked at Serena and grinned triumphantly. Casey sighed and responded, "And what's so wrong with you getting it yourself?"

"Because my gorgeous girlfriend could get it for me. Or do you not love me as much as Olivia does Alex?" Serena teased. "Come on…if you had asked me to get you some, I would've done it in a heartbeat."

"All right, all right, I'll get it," Casey said, sighing again and standing up. "This is coercion," she added before leaving to get Serena some honey mustard.

When Casey returned with Serena's honey mustard, Alex and Serena high-fived each other. Casey shook her head. "You two are unbelievable," she remarked.

"I love you," Serena said, leaning over and giving Casey a quick kiss on the lips.

"Aww," Alex cooed. "See what doing nice things for your girl gets you?"

A dopey grin spread across Casey's face. She rubbed Serena's back and told Alex, "Yeah, but she better not make it a habit." Serena acted like she was hurt and Casey immediately apologized. "Baby, I was just playing. You know I love doing things for you."

"I know," Serena responded with a grin.

Olivia turned her attention from Casey and Serena to Alex. "I bet Kathy doesn't make Elliot do stuff like that," she remarked, tearing off a piece of Alex's chicken and stuffing it into her mouth.

"Ha!" Elliot exclaimed. "You guys have _no_ idea."

Kathy shoved Elliot. "Hey, watch it," she advised. Their friends all laughed while Elliot turned beet red.

"It must be even harder as a guy," Olivia commented.

"I plead the fifth," Elliot responded, digging into his mashed potatoes and praying for the bell to hurry up and ring.

* * *

The girls were driving back to Alex's house after gymnastics and swim practice when Alex suddenly asked, "Hey Liv, can we stop by the playground?"

Olivia glanced over at Alex, giving her a funny look. "The playground? Alex, don't you think we're a little too old for that?"

Alex grinned. "Hey, you're never too old to have fun. Come on, Liv. I know you have an inner child. Everyone does."

Olivia sighed. She couldn't help but smile at Alex's willingness to hold on to a small part of her innocence. "Sure, sweetie."

As soon as they had parked, Alex jumped out of the car and grabbed Olivia's hand, pulling her over toward the swings. "Hurry up, Liv!"

Olivia smirked. "Sweetie, none of the equipment is going anywhere."

Alex turned around and quickly planted a kiss on Olivia's lips. "I know, babe. I'm just really excited, is all."

Olivia grinned. "I can tell."

Alex carefully examined the row of swings and finally decided on one at the end. After sitting down and making herself comfortable, she shouted, "Push me, Liv!"

Olivia chuckled and got behind Alex. "Hold on tight."

Alex gripped the chains tightly right under Olivia's hands and swung her legs back and forth impatiently. "Come on, Liv!"

Olivia pulled the swing back and remarked, "Baby, you're so light." Alex just smiled. Olivia then pushed forward strongly and let go as Alex went sailing up into the air.

When Alex swung back, Olivia placed her hands on her back and pushed her forward again. She continued doing so until Alex had gained enough momentum to swing highly on her own.

Olivia stood beside her and watched as Alex swung higher and higher. She grinned with pride at the look of sheer, unadulterated happiness etched across Alex's face and marveled at how the sun caught her golden locks as they flowed freely in the wind. "Careful, sweetie. Don't swing too high. I don't want you flying out."

Alex laughed. "Thanks, Mom!"

After several minutes, Alex began slowing down. Olivia grabbed the chains to bring her to a final stop. "Have fun?"

Alex jumped out of the swing and threw her arms around Olivia's neck. "Yes! Now let's go over to the slide!"

Olivia laughed and shook her head. "Oh, Alex. What am I ever gonna do with you?"

Alex turned around and winked at her. "Well…for starters you could slide down with me."

Olivia shrugged. "Ok. But if you repeat this to any of our friends, I swear I'll deny it."

Alex climbed up the tall ladder to the slide with Olivia following closely behind her. She moved over a little when they reached the top so Olivia could sit down and stretch out her legs. Alex then sat down in her lap. After Olivia had wrapped her arms around Alex's waist, they slid down together.

"Wasn't that fun, Liv?" Alex asked excitedly when they reached the bottom.

Olivia grinned. "I guess it was."

Alex took Olivia's hand and ran over to the monkey bars. She grabbed onto one of the bars and brought her legs up. When they were wrapped tightly around it, she let her hands go and hung comfortably upside down. Smiling up at Olivia and crossing her arms over her chest, she said, "Hey Liv, you look hot even upside down!"

Olivia smiled and uncrossed Alex's arms, taking her hands into her own and linking their fingers. "My little gymnast." She bent down and kissed her on the lips.

Alex giggled. "My little swimmer."

"Come on, let's get you down before all the blood rushes to your head and makes you faint," Olivia said as she gathered Alex's limber body into her arms and lifted her off the monkey bars.

When Alex was flat on the ground again, she wrapped her arms around Olivia's waist and teased, "Aww, it's so cute when you get worried about me."

Olivia leaned in and pressed her lips against hers. "I just always want to make sure you're safe and sound."

Alex sighed and laid her head on Olivia's shoulder. "I always will be as long as I'm with you."

Olivia took Alex's hand and led her back over to the end of the slide. She sat down and pulled Alex into her lap.

"Liv…we're blocking the slide!"

"Come on, Al. Do you actually see any other kids around?"

Alex looked around. "Well…no. But what if they come and wanna slide?"

"Then we'll move," Olivia said matter-of-factly. "In the meantime, I just wanna hold you."

"That's sweet, Liv." Alex paused for a few seconds before continuing with what had been on her mind off and on all day. "Since you and your mom have a better relationship now, do you think she would be accepting of you being gay?"

Olivia sighed deeply. "Well…I dunno. I would hope so."

"What's your worst fear?"

"That our parents won't accept the love we have for each other," Olivia answered.

"What happens to us if they don't?" Alex asked nervously.

"Nothing," Olivia said with a smile. "I'm not letting anything or anyone keep you away from me."

Alex's whole face lit up into a smile. "You really mean that?"

"With everything inside me," Olivia replied with conviction.

Holding hands, they got up and began to walk around the playground. Even though the weather was cold, it was a pleasant day and the sun was shining brightly. They each took comfort in the other's presence and in the peaceful solitude provided by an empty playground. Although Olivia had initially agreed on coming to the playground to see Alex reconnect with her innocence, she found that she was re-experiencing elements of her own forgotten innocence as well. She loved that Alex could make her rediscover parts of herself that she had long given up on. She felt that their relationship held a certain level of innocence as well, and she wanted to preserve that for as long as she could.

"Liv…do you remember our first date?" Alex asked, kicking a pebble out of her path.

Olivia smiled. "Yep. I also remember we had our first kiss that night. But if you had asked me to be your girlfriend at the lake, I would've said yes."

Alex stopped and grinned. "Really?"

"Yes. And in my mind, we were already an item even before we made it official that Monday."

Alex wrapped Olivia in a warm hug. "I'm so glad we found each other," she whispered in her ear.

Olivia kissed Alex's cheek and lightly stroked her hair. "Me, too. I love you so much, Alex. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Aww, Liv. I feel the same way."

They began walking again, swinging their interlinked hands back and forth slowly. "Do you think Serena and Casey have done the deed yet?" Alex asked suddenly when they had reached the slide again.

Olivia looked at Alex in amusement. "I can honestly say I haven't given it much thought. Why?" she asked, taking a seat.

Alex shrugged and sat down in her lap again. "I was just wondering. They just seem to have gotten closer."

Olivia smiled and gave Alex another little kiss on the cheek. "That tends to happen when you're with someone you love."

Alex giggled and rubbed her hands up and down her arms for warmth. "Liv…it's getting cold."

Olivia took off her leather jacket and threw it over Alex's head. "Liv, I have on a coat already! And I can't see!" Alex protested.

Olivia giggled and lay back against the slide, pulling Alex down on top of her. She pulled the jacket over both their heads and began to kiss her under it. When they broke away from the kiss, she asked Alex, "There. Now did that warm you up some?"

Alex grinned. "More than you can imagine." She admired how Olivia's mahogany tresses had fanned out around her head against the metal slide. It had a graceful air to it and made her seem even more beautiful than she already was.

Olivia sat up again and smiled. "Good. I do aim to please."

Alex looked at her watch. "Come on. We should get back. Serena and Casey are supposed to meet us at my place in half an hour."

Olivia offered her hand to Alex and they started walking toward the car together. "Girls night is gonna be pretty interesting."

"Yeah, maybe I can make them spill some juicy details about their relationship."

Olivia laughed and shook her head. "Always the little inquisitor."

Alex shrugged. "Hey, it's just nice to see two girls in love."

Olivia smiled and opened the passenger side door for Alex. "I wholeheartedly agree."


	13. Rapture

**Chapter 13: Rapture**

About 45 minutes later, Alex, Olivia, Casey, and Serena were all sitting on Alex's bed waiting for the pizza they had ordered to arrive.

"So do your parents know you're dating?" Alex asked Casey and Serena.

Casey and Serena glanced at each other. "Um…it's not something I've discussed with them yet," Casey answered.

"Same here," Serena added. "What about you guys?"

"Not yet," Olivia said with a tight smile.

"Well…you two have made some pretty bold moves in front of your parents. Case in point—your birthday party," Casey said, looking at Olivia.

This time it was Olivia and Alex's turn to exchange worried glances. "What do you mean?" Olivia asked.

"Remember when Alex gave you your birthday licks?" Serena reminded Olivia.

"Come on, Serena…those were completely innocent," Alex assured her.

Serena smirked. "Right."

"Well, I'm sure they seemed innocent to people who don't _know_ we're dating," Alex argued.

Olivia paused for a moment and pondered what Serena and Casey were saying. She then looked at Alex and suggested, "Maybe we should tone things down a little in front of our parents."

Alex frowned at her. "Liv…just earlier you said that you wouldn't let anything or anyone keep us apart."

"I still mean that…but that doesn't mean I wanna set off alarms in front of our parents or make things purposely hard for us."

"What we did hardly set off any alarms, Liv."

"How can you be so sure, Alex?"

"If our actions had set off alarms, then our parents would've said something to us. Just like Mom interrogated you when she thought I was sleeping around with some guy," Alex responded.

"Maybe they just haven't gotten around to it yet," Olivia replied reasonably.

"Liv, are you ashamed of me?" Alex asked abruptly, hurt.

Olivia gave Alex a shocked look. "No, and I'm offended that you'd even insinuate that. I just don't think we should throw a big gay parade just to prove we're in love. If our parents don't take things well, then flaunting it is just gonna make things worse!"

"Liv, I'm not asking for a fucking parade. I'm not even asking for us to kiss in front of them. But a little hugging or cuddling or innocent touching isn't gonna cause any problems."

Olivia shook her head and glared at Alex. "You are un-fucking-believable. Why don't we get t-shirts made just telling everyone we're dating? Casey's right. People can pick up on the little things."

"Our friends only picked up on it because they knew we were dating! Duh, Liv!" Alex said, throwing her hands up and rolling her eyes.

"You know what, Alex? Your arrogance is _really_ starting to get on my last nerve," Olivia said in a threatening tone.

"So is the fact that you're a bitch and you're always looking for an excuse to deny our affection for each other!" Alex retorted.

Olivia's jaw clenched. "Fuck you, Alex!"

"Fuck you!" Alex shouted back.

Casey saw that things were getting heated and interjected, "Um…listen guys. I didn't mean to start a fight between you two. Just calm down, take a deep breath…"

"Be quiet, Casey," Olivia ordered, still glaring into Alex's eyes.

"Seriously, guys. You love each other too much to fight," Serena added.

"Yeah, you two fight like you're married," Casey commented.

Olivia turned her head to glare at Casey. "Stay outta this."

The buzzer went off. "Fine. Hey, I'll go get the pizza," Casey offered, getting up. "Try not to rip each other's hair out while I'm gone," she added, exiting Alex's bedroom.

"I'm not hungry," Olivia grumbled. She grabbed her keys and got off the bed. "I think I should go."

Alex jumped up after her. "No, Liv. Don't go."

Olivia scowled at her. "Oh, that's right, Alex. You'd like me to stay so we can invite our parents to watch us fuck and let them know they can't do a damn thing about it? Your arrogance is gonna bite you in the ass one day."

"Liv, I'm sorry." She gently placed a hand on her arm and stood in front of her bedroom door. "Please stay."

Olivia pushed Alex's hand away. "Move out of my way," she growled.

Alex continued to stand in front of the door and spread her arms out across it. "No."

Olivia was getting more irritated by the second. She grabbed Alex by the waist and easily pushed her aside but Alex quickly resumed her position. Olivia was annoyed by Alex's stubbornness but couldn't say she was surprised by it. "Alex…seriously, just move. If I have to, I'll climb out your damn window."

Alex calmly placed her hands on Olivia's chest. "Come on, sweetie. Don't be like this."

Olivia looked down at Alex's hands on her breasts and pushed them away after a few seconds. "Sweetie? I thought I was a bitch just a couple minutes ago."

"Liv, I was angry. You know I didn't mean it! I'm sorry," Alex said, wrapping her arms around her waist.

Olivia untangled herself from Alex's embrace. "That's not gonna work either, Alex."

"Well, how about this?" Alex asked, leaning in to softly brush her lips against Olivia's.

Olivia was caught off guard for a moment. She felt herself giving in to Alex, despite her best efforts to remain angry with her for being so bullheaded.

Alex felt a slight smile beginning to cross her lips. She knew Olivia was softening towards her. So she leaned in and whispered in her ear, "God, you're so fucking hot when you're angry."

Olivia gulped. "Stop it."

Alex felt the door budge against her. Casey was trying to open it to bring in their pizza. "Hey, you're blocking the door!" Casey yelled.

Alex moved away and grabbed Olivia by the arm so Casey could come in and Olivia wouldn't rush out. She then gently began running her fingers through Olivia's hair and leaned in to kiss her again. Olivia's lips slightly parted and Alex quickly slipped her tongue in to massage Olivia's. Alex began moaning and slid her hand under Olivia's shirt to caress her warm stomach, both of which were beginning to drive Olivia wild.

"I'm sorry, Liv," Alex repeated sincerely, stroking Olivia's face. "Please don't be mad at me."

Olivia felt her remaining anger dissipate. "I'm sorry too, sweetie," she said, pulling Alex closer to her and passionately reclaiming her mouth.

Serena loudly cleared her throat from her seat on the bed. "Hey guys, we're still here, you know."

Olivia and Alex reluctantly pulled away from each other. They returned to the bed and took a slice of pizza each. Casey shook her head and smirked at Olivia. She wiggled her pinkie finger.

Olivia's mouth dropped open. "Alex does not have me wrapped around her pinkie!"

"Oh please. It's obvious you both have each other wrapped around your pinkies," Casey said.

"And you and Serena don't?" Olivia asked accusingly.

Casey busied herself with eating her slice of pizza and Serena took a huge swig of her Coke. When neither of them answered promptly, Olivia said with a satisfied grin, "I'll take that to mean you do."

Serena giggled. "It was so cute when you two made up."

Olivia smirked. "Yeah, Alex tried to seduce me."

Alex burst out laughing. "I did not try to seduce you, Liv."

"Oh please! You think you can kiss me, touch me, and turn those big blue eyes on me and I'll do anything you want!" Olivia responded.

Casey looked at Serena and smirked. "Tell me about it," she muttered. That of course got her a playful shove from her girlfriend.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked, feigning innocence and looking intently into Olivia's eyes.

Olivia felt herself melting all over again. "Just like that! You're doing it now!" she accused. She reached out to brush a few wisps of Alex's hair behind her ear. "God, I love your eyes."

Alex smiled victoriously. "I know."

"You tricked me!" Olivia exclaimed, grabbing Alex by the waist and pulling her into her arms to tickle her.

Alex giggled incessantly and tried to fight Olivia's hands off. "Stop, Liv!" Olivia grabbed Alex's slice of pizza and took a huge bite out of it. "Liv, no fair! You stole my pizza!"

"Right, Alex. Like you never steal my food. Come on. We have another box," Olivia replied.

Alex frowned and picked up another slice. She pulled off a piece of sausage and popped it in her mouth. "Liv, can you hand me a breadstick with some marinara? Please don't eat it."

Serena and Casey laughed and Olivia just smirked. Dipping the breadstick in a container of marinara sauce, she handed it to Alex. When Alex bit into it without even thanking her, Olivia smirked again and said sarcastically, "You're welcome."

"Oh, sorry. Thanks," Alex mumbled around her mouthful. She dipped it in some more sauce and then held it out as a peace offering for Olivia to take a bite. "Want some?" she asked.

"Don't mind if I do," Olivia responded, taking a bite.

Silence ensued for a few minutes while everyone continued eating their food. "Sooo…have you girls done it yet?" Alex asked Serena and Casey.

Both Serena and Casey turned crimson and almost choked on their slices of pizza. They looked at each other with expressions of slight panic. "Um…not exactly," Serena answered.

A wide grin spread across Alex's face and she said, "Aw, you guys are so cute. First time jitters." Olivia giggled and Casey and Serena blushed even harder.

"We're both a little nervous," Casey confessed.

"Aw guys, it's nothing to be nervous about. I must say that Alex and I quite enjoy the mattress mambo," Olivia declared with a lopsided grin.

Alex swatted Olivia's arm and said, "Hey!"

"Well, Alex lucked out with you, Liv because you'd been with a girl before," Serena added.

Olivia's eyes got wide as she stared at Serena. "You've never had sex with a girl before?" she asked.

"No. Well, I've fooled around before but never went all the way with a girl," Serena admitted quietly.

"Serena and I have gotten pretty close…but we stopped because we weren't quite sure what to do," Casey added.

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "I can give you a few tips."

Alex buried her head under a pillow. "Oh God help us," she cried. Casey and Serena laughed.

Olivia comfortingly rubbed Alex's back. "Oh baby, come on. Nothing to be ashamed of. I must say I was pleasantly surprised the first time we did it."

Alex gasped and pulled her head out from under the pillow. "Are you saying you thought I was gonna suck because I'd never been with anyone before?"

Olivia looked at Alex in shock. "No, sweetie. I thought it would be great, but I just didn't expect a first timer to give me the absolute best sex of my life. It was a compliment, baby, not an insult." She nipped an earlobe and whispered in Alex's ear, "Sweetie, you're so sensitive." Alex pouted and folded her arms in response.

"Who went first?" Casey asked.

"I did," Olivia answered with a proud grin.

Alex blushed. She knew this conversation was quickly going to go south, in every sense of the word. "Liv, please don't go into details."

Olivia saw that Alex was getting embarrassed, so she squeezed her hand. "I won't, babe." She turned her attention back to Serena and Casey. "Just go with the flow and do what feels right. When you love someone, the experience is a whole lot different. Trust me."

"Were you nervous, Alex?" Casey asked.

Alex smiled. "I was kinda scared at first, but Liv was really gentle. It barely hurt at all."

Olivia grinned even wider and lovingly placed a kiss against Alex's neck. "Aww, thank you, baby. I didn't wanna cause you any pain, only pleasure."

"Were you nervous about what Alex would think?" Serena asked Olivia.

"Nah. I knew she'd love it," Olivia answered.

Alex gasped and shoved Olivia's shoulder. "Liv! And you talk about me being arrogant."

Olivia giggled. "I was kidding, babe. Of course I was nervous. I wanted your first time to be wonderful and special—nothing less than perfect. That's why I wanted to take my time."

"Just do something really romantic to set the mood," Alex suggested. "That way, since neither of you have been with a girl before, it'll make you concentrate more on each other and less on any nervousness."

"Yeah. And you don't have to rush things either," Olivia added. "I think making love is a wonderful expression of how much you care for someone, but it's not the be-all, end-all, if you get what I mean."

"Did you guys feel any different toward each other after your first time?" Casey asked.

Olivia and Alex looked at each other and smiled. "We felt closer," Olivia answered. "It was a way we'd never connected before."

"I felt like we were more mature as a couple," Alex added. "I don't wanna say it cemented our relationship because I think we were already solid and would still be if we'd never had sex, but I do agree with Liv that it made us feel closer because we explored each other in the most intimate ways possible."

"Before Alex, I just did it because it felt good. Now I do it because I love her and I want to experience new heights with her to make her feel special. Making love with Alex was the first time I actually felt…." Olivia paused to search for the appropriate word. "Rapture," she finally decided.

"Aww," Alex cooed, stroking Olivia's cheek in appreciation.

Serena grinned. "You two are so cute."

"I think we're cuter," Casey said, leaning over to capture Serena's lips. Casey looked over at Olivia and Alex and smiled apologetically. "No offense, guys."

Olivia smirked. "None taken."

After Serena and Casey had left, Olivia got up off the bed to stretch and said, "Well, it's getting late. I guess I'd better be leaving, too."

Alex got up and grabbed her hand. "Don't go, Liv. Spend the night."

Olivia smiled. "Ok," she responded simply.

Alex went over to her drawers and pulled out some black fleece pajama pants and a navy tank top for Olivia. Throwing them to her, she said, "Hey, I'm gonna go take a shower. Promise me you'll be here when I get back?"

Olivia grinned. "You can count on it."

About 15 minutes later, Alex came out in a towel with her brush in hand. She pulled out a pair of blue satin pajamas, changed into them, and then sat down on the bed next to Olivia. Olivia took the brush from her and began gently brushing the tangles out of Alex's wet hair.

"That feels really good," Alex complimented Olivia. "I love it when you brush my hair."

Olivia planted a chaste kiss on her cheek and said, "And I love brushing it." She deeply inhaled the lingering scent of the Hot Cocoa shampoo and body wash she had bought Alex for Christmas. "You smell so yummy…nice to see you're getting good use of your Christmas gifts."

Alex giggled. "Well, I love them all."

After they were cuddled up to each other in bed, Alex lightly traced a finger down Olivia's jaw line and said with a pout, "You know…I hate it when we fight."

"Me too," Olivia agreed. "But I love it when we make up."

Alex smiled. "I guess it is something to look forward to, huh?"

"I guess so," Olivia responded happily.

Alex looked down briefly before gazing into Olivia's eyes again and saying, "You know…even though I do think you're incredibly sexy when you're pissed off, I still get a little scared."

Olivia furrowed her eyebrows. "Why? You don't…you don't think I'll hurt you, do you?"

"Well…not exactly. But I'm afraid of what will happen if I push you too far. Like how long you'll stay angry with me. What you might do…"

Hurt flashed across Olivia's face. "Oh sweetie, I can never stay mad at you for long. And baby, I'd never intentionally hurt you. No matter how angry I got."

"But how can you be so sure?" Alex asked, her eyes wide.

"Because I love you. I treat you differently when I'm upset than I do others. There's no way I'd ever hit you."

"I'm just afraid I could…I dunno, push you into the arms of someone else," Alex said quietly.

Olivia shook her head fervently, shocked that Alex would even think such a thing. "Alex, I don't belong to anyone but you. There's no one else I want. I'd never cheat on you. Would you cheat on me or hit me?"

"No, Liv. Of course not."

"Then it's unfair of you to assume I'd do either to you," Olivia said, looking into Alex's eyes. "I love you just as much as you love me, and I'm just as loyal to you as you are to me."

Alex sighed. She realized that she was in fact being unfair to Olivia. "You're right, sweetie. I'm sorry. Sometimes my insecurities get the best of me."

Olivia stroked Alex's chin. "Baby, I'm not Abbie. I'm not anyone else who's ever hurt you. I'm Olivia. And yes, we're gonna have disagreements. We're even gonna have fights where we scream our lungs out at each other, but you know what?" She picked Alex's hands up into her own. "I'm still gonna be there after it all blows over."

Alex smiled. "I love you, Liv."

"I love you too, baby," Olivia responded with a smile.

"Hey, Liv?" Alex asked softly.

"Yeah?"

"Did you really mean what you said about feeling rapture when we make love?" Alex asked as she ran her fingers up and down Olivia's forearm.

"Yes," Olivia responded breathlessly, gazing deeply into Alex's cerulean pools.

Alex smiled brightly. "Let's dance," she said, grabbing Olivia's hand and pulling her off the bed.

"To what?" Olivia asked quizzically.

Alex ran over to her CD changer and put in IIO's "Rapture" single. She picked up the remote and pushed "play," then she threw it down on the table and ran back over to Olivia. As Nadia's tantric voice floated throughout the air, Alex wrapped her arms around Olivia's waist and began gently swaying back and forth to the vocals.

"_The night I laid my eyes on you  
Felt everything around me move  
Got nervous when you looked my way  
But you knew all the words to say  
Then your love slowly moved right in  
All this time, oh my love, where you been"_

For a moment they were transfixed by the depths of each other's eyes. Olivia placed one hand at the small of Alex's back and then slowly brought her other up to rest on her chest. Their breathing increased and they simultaneously closed their eyes and slowly leaned in to taste each other's lips as the chorus came on.

"_Mi amore  
Don't you know  
My love, I want you so  
Sugar  
You make my soul complete  
Rapture tastes so sweet"_

Olivia pulled Alex as close to her as humanly possible and passionately invaded her mouth as the next verse started. She tangled her hands in Alex's hair and tilted her own head to the side so she could allow her tongue to traverse Alex's soft mouth even more. Alex could feel their hearts beating together and deepened the kiss, slipping her hands under Olivia's tank to caress the soft skin of her torso. She let her fingers linger over Olivia's warm heart as Olivia brought her own hand under Alex's top to place it over her heart as well. The electricity that seemed to spark from their fingers traveled from their hearts throughout the rest of their bodies and reached an apex at their melded tongues.

"_I'm mesmerized in every way  
You keep me in a state of daze  
Your kisses make my skin feel weak  
Always melting in your heat  
Then I soar like a bird in the wind  
Oh I glide as I'm flying through Heaven"_

As the song continued, they could feel themselves experiencing the intense emotions in the lyrics and music. Although they were not actually making love, they still felt as if they had achieved a sense of rapture. Even after the song was over, they didn't break away from their intimate kiss until several moments later.

"That was beautiful," Olivia remarked, catching her breath.

"I agree," Alex said, taking Olivia's hand and leading them back over to her bed.

Once they had snuggled up to each other again, Olivia pulled Alex to her and warmly kissed her lips. "Let's catch some shuteye, ok?"

"Ok," Alex agreed. She got back up to turn out the lights and then resumed her position in Olivia's arms. "Night, sweetie."

"Night," Olivia whispered, placing a final kiss on the top of Alex's head.


	14. Kiss and Tell

**Chapter 14: Kiss and Tell**

The following week, Alex was in the locker room after practice when Abbie came up to her. "Hey. Nice dismount on the bars today, Alex."

Alex smiled. "Thanks."

"How are you and Olivia doing?" Abbie asked.

"Great," Alex said, pulling on her jeans and then drying her hair with a towel.

"I ran into Ashley Brooks today."

Alex wrinkled her forehead. "Who?"

"You know. Olivia's ex-girlfriend," Abbie said, trying to sound casual. However, she knew exactly what she was doing. She was trying to get a rise out of Alex and by the look of shock mixed with hurt that had crossed Alex's face, she knew she had succeeded.

"Ex-girlfriend?" Alex asked, feeling her stomach flip.

"Yeah. She thinks you two make a good couple. But she said Olivia's still the best lay she's ever had."

All the blood drained from Alex's face. She knew that whoever this girl was, she was in Olivia's past and it shouldn't matter to her what they had or hadn't done, but it still bothered her nonetheless. "How long did they date?" Alex asked, hoping Abbie wouldn't see just how negatively this was beginning to affect her.

Abbie could barely hide her contentment in the way that she had gotten Alex's attention. "I dunno. I was more interested in the details about their sex life than anything else. She called Olivia's tongue 'The Twister.' Sounds like you've got yourself a wild one, babe."

A bitter taste hit the back of Alex's throat. "Stop it, Abbie! I don't wanna hear anymore!"

Abbie shrugged. "Sorry. But shouldn't you take it as a compliment if others think your girl is good in bed?"

Alex's mouth dropped open. "Hell no! I don't wanna hear about Liv sleeping with other girls."

"Well, she's not sleeping with them now, is she?"

Alex gave her a look. "You know she's not, Abbie."

Abbie slipped the strap of her bag onto her shoulder. "Well, I gotta go. Tell Olivia I said hi," she said, making her exit and smiling to herself.

Alex was sitting on a bench going over her Psychology notes when Olivia came in a half hour later. "Hey, sweetie," Olivia said, leaning down and planting a quick kiss on her lips. She smelled of chlorine from the pool and a few droplets of water dripped off her face and hair onto Alex's notes.

"Hey," Alex said, flashing her a quick smile.

Olivia took a seat beside her on the bench. "Look at my little bookworm," she said with a smile.

"Liv…you're dripping everywhere!" Alex complained, moving her notebook farther away.

Olivia chuckled. "Ok, ok. I get the hint. Hey, I'm gonna go take a shower but I'll be out in a few minutes, ok?"

"Ok," Alex said, briefly looking up at Olivia again from her notes.

Olivia gave her a lopsided grin. "You sure you don't wanna join me?"

Alex smiled. "I think I'll take a rain check."

"Ok," Olivia said, running a hand through Alex's hair and walking off toward the showers.

About 10 minutes later, Olivia came back over to Alex. "Miss me?"

"You know it," Alex responded, not looking up.

_She's certainly acting weird around me. Did I do something wrong?_ Olivia wondered. "Baby, is there something bothering you?"

"Yeah. How come you never told me about Ashley Brooks?" Alex asked Olivia as she was drying off.

Olivia wrinkled her brow. "What about her?"

"The part about her being your ex-girlfriend. Abbie ran into her today and she told her that the two of you dated. Then she told Abbie she thought we were a cute couple, but you were still the best lay she's ever had."

Olivia frowned. Wrapping the towel around herself, she said, "She had no right telling you about my personal business."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Taking a seat beside Alex, Olivia asked, "Why should I bring up previous relationships if you don't ask? I like to concentrate on us, not on the past."

"Well, Abbie tried to make it sound like you were hiding something from me."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "It's Abbie. What do you expect?"

"I expect not to hear from my ex-girlfriend about how wild you and Ashley were in bed!"

Olivia's mouth dropped open. "Abbie told you details about our sex life?"

"Yes."

Olivia's jaw clenched and she balled up a fist. Shaking her head and looking off to the side, she muttered, "That stupid bitch." She was already plotting how she was going to rip Abbie a new one the next time she got her alone.

Alex folded her arms across her chest. "How long did you two date?"

"Almost a month."

"Funny how you never mentioned her to me," Alex muttered.

"Alex, I didn't think my past was important! Who cares about who I was with back then? All that matters is that I'm with _you_ now!"

Alex put her notebook on the bench beside her and stood up. "Don't you dare start yelling at me, Olivia! Abbie made me look like a fool!"

Olivia clucked her tongue against the inside of her cheek and stood up again. "Alex, I don't mean to yell at you. I'm just upset with Abbie. And no one could ever make Alexandra Cabot look like a fool."

Alex ignored her. "How many other girls were there?"

Olivia sighed. "I made out and did a little heavy petting with a couple others, and I had a one night stand with one more."

Alex gulped. "Names?"

Olivia shook her head. "Alex, this is ridiculous."

Alex held her hands out toward Olivia. "Please, Liv. I just need to know."

Olivia let out a deep breath. "Fine. I had a one-night stand with Dani Peters and made out with Sarah Wagner and Allison James."

"So counting Rebecca, you've slept with three girls besides me?"

Olivia shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah, I guess."

"Have you been tested, Liv?" Alex asked pointedly.

Olivia didn't even bother trying to disguise the hurt that contorted her features. "You think I would be careless and give you a disease, Alex?"

"It was just a question, Liv."

Olivia stared at Alex for a few seconds before responding. "Alex, I was last tested a couple weeks before you and I started dating, actually. My health is important to me. And ever since I started crushing on you, I didn't do anything with anyone. Hell, I didn't even kiss anyone else. The last time I was with someone before you was about three months before I was tested."

Alex couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

Olivia shook her head. "I can't even believe you asked me that. I never asked you if you were tested."

"Well, I'd never been with anyone before you."

"Well, I'd never put you at risk before being intimate with you. Why don't you just trust me, Alex?"

"Liv, I do trust you. I just don't like hearing about my girlfriend's sexual liaisons from my _ex_ of all people! You should've seen the way Abbie was gloating in my face!"

"Then why don't you just ignore Abbie? It's my _past_. She was only trying to mess with your head."

"Liv, I don't like feeling jealous."

"Alex, what do you want me to do, huh?" Olivia asked, throwing her hands up. "Apologize for everyone I dated and slept with before you?"

Alex sighed. "No, Liv."

"Come on, you didn't think I was a virgin before we started dating, did you?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "No, but I didn't think about that at all. Listen, I don't like hearing abut your past sex life with anyone else. It makes me uncomfortable—thinking about someone besides me kissing you, touching you, making you feel good."

"Alex, I've told you time and time again that no one has ever made me feel the way you do. And I mean that. My past is just that—my past. Don't let it worry you," Olivia said, reaching out to stroke the soft skin of Alex's cheek.

"I tried not to. But Abbie wouldn't let up. She said 'sounds like you've got yourself a wild one, babe.' She told me that Ashley talked about how good you were at oral. How she nicknamed your tongue 'The Twister.' Liv, I don't wanna hear about stuff like that or have that stuck in my head every time we make love!"

Olivia chuckled. "What Ashley and I did was hardly what I'd call 'wild.' Now, what you and I do on the other hand…"

Alex started to cry. "Liv, this isn't funny!"

"Come on, Alex. Don't cry," Olivia said, taking her into her arms.

Alex sobbed onto her shoulder and took comfort in the warmth of Olivia's strong embrace. She felt safe in Olivia's arms—even safe from her own insecurities. She lifted her head to sniffle and wipe her eyes. "It's just sometimes I wish I'd been _your_ first like you were mine."

Olivia pulled back. "Is that what this is about? Alex, just because you weren't the first person I had sex with doesn't mean it was any less special. In fact, it was more special with you than the others. And making love with you was still a first for me because you were the first person I slept with who I actually loved." She gave Alex a lopsided smile. "And you were also the first person who I ever let do me, you know, back there," she continued, pointing a finger around to her butt.

Alex giggled. "I don't wanna fight over this, Liv."

"I don't either," Olivia said, getting dressed. "Come on. Let's go home so we can study for Olivet's quiz of doom."

* * *

When they got back to Alex's house, Olivia was shocked that Alex kissed her goodbye and then headed for her door without asking her to come up to her room.

"Um…Alex, you're not gonna invite me up?"

"Liv, I need to study. You know we have a quiz."

Olivia frowned. "We usually study together."

"Liv, you always distract me."

Olivia tried to look innocent. "_Me_?"

"Yes, you," Alex responded, poking her in the chest.

Olivia pouted. "You're really not gonna let me come up?"

Alex grabbed her hand and pulled her out the car. "Aww, you big baby. Come on up."

Olivia grinned as Alex unlocked the door and they started to walk up the stairs to her room. "But I'm _your_ big baby."

They had only been studying 15 minutes when Olivia put her book down, pushed Alex's off her lap, and wrapped her arms around her waist.

Alex sighed. "See, Liv? This is exactly what I was talking about."

"I just want some quality cuddle time with my baby. I'm surprised I was able to hold out this long."

Alex looked at her pointedly. "Naked, you mean."

"Hey…you're the one who said that," Olivia said, waggling her eyebrows. She lay down on her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. Looking up at Alex, she cooed, "I wuv you."

Alex smiled and ruffled her hair. "You're so silly, Liv. Come on, babe." She grabbed Olivia's arms and pulled her up beside her. Olivia wrapped her arms around Alex and snuggled up to her. Alex rested her head on her shoulder and sighed deeply. Olivia smiled and carefully tilted Alex's chin upward to capture her lips. Alex put her hand at the back of Olivia's warm neck and freely let Olivia's tongue roam her mouth.

As their tongues slowly intertwined, Olivia reached around to her back and unlatched her bra. She pulled it down her arms, out from under her shirt, and threw it across the room, all the while never letting her mouth leave Alex's.

Olivia broke away briefly to pull her shirt over her head and throw it on the floor. "Liv, what are you doing?" Alex asked suspiciously as Olivia consumed her mouth again. _When the hell did Liv remove her bra?_ she wondered.

"Making you forget about everyone from my past forever," Olivia whispered, grabbing the ends of Alex's shirt and pulling it over her head. She then unlatched the clasp of her bra in front and eagerly removed it.

Olivia began leaving a trail of kisses all the way down Alex's torso. After each kiss, she said "I love you" as she moved gracefully down Alex's body and back up again. "You know we have an anatomy quiz, too," Olivia mumbled, sticking her tongue out to graze Alex's neck. "By the time I'm done, I'm gonna be very familiar with all the terms."

Alex laughed slightly. "Oh, Liv. You're silly. But come on. We really have to study."

"I am studying. Just not in a textbook," Olivia replied, nipping her collarbone. "I'm a kinesthetic learner, you know."

Alex chuckled softly. As much as she wanted to stop, her hands had a mind of their own. She couldn't keep them from drifting to Olivia's breasts and kneading the soft flesh. Her mouth also had a mind of its own. Soon it, too, was following the lead of her hands.

Several minutes later they were lying in each other's arms. Alex sighed happily. "Liv…I don't think our current study habits are very effective," she joked.

Olivia grinned. "They're perfect to me."

* * *

The next afternoon after practice, Olivia told Alex to wait for her in the lobby outside the gym because she had to take care of something. Of course, she didn't bother informing Alex that that _something _was Abbie. When Olivia entered the locker room again, she stormed up to Abbie and backed her up against the wall. "What the hell were you thinking telling Alex about Ashley yesterday?" she demanded angrily.

Abbie tried to feign ignorance. "What are you talking about?"

"You had no business telling Alex about my ex-girlfriend and let alone, our _sex_ life!" Olivia shouted.

Abbie sneered at Olivia and replied, "I thought you two didn't keep secrets from each other."

"It wasn't a secret, you bitch. I just didn't think it was important because Alex is the only one who matters to me now and as far as I'm concerned, no one else fucking exists."

"You can't just erase your past, Olivia."

"Well, my past has no bearing on my relationship or my love for Alex. I was with them before I ever really got to know her."

"Well, I thought Alex knew about her," Abbie lied.

Olivia continued to stare her down. "No, you didn't. You wanted to upset her and make her insecure!"

"Well, if you didn't have such a past then there wouldn't be anything to talk about!" Abbie retorted.

"So I've been with a few girls. Who the fuck cares? That doesn't make me a slut! At least I didn't cheat on her like you did!"

"No, but you dumped her and hooked up with some guy!"

Olivia's jaw dropped open. "What? How did—"

Abbie smirked. "I make fast friends. Word gets around."

Olivia gulped. "I didn't have sex with Nick. I was scared about coming out. I wasn't intentionally trying to hurt her, and I regret what I did! I'd take it all back if I could."

Abbie rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Liv. All I'm saying is that you need to stop trying to act like a saint because you've hurt her, too."

"I love her more than anything or anyone in this world, Abbie. I know I've made some mistakes, but there's nothing I wouldn't do for Alex."

Abbie rolled her eyes again. "Very touching, Olivia," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But people fall in and out of love all the time."

Olivia felt her jaw clench. She wanted to get it through to Abbie that Alex would never be available to her and she should just stop trying. "Listen, she _loves_ me. That's never gonna change. Neither is the fact that she doesn't love you and she never will! Now get over it, you stupid bitch! You'll never succeed in breaking us up!"

Abbie smirked. "Why are you getting so upset, Liv? You don't actually consider me a threat, do you?" she asked with a twisted smile.

Olivia snorted. "_You_ a threat? You've got to be kidding me." She picked up the yellow sapphire and diamond necklace around her neck and held the jewels out to Abbie. "See this necklace? Alex and I have matching ones. I'm sure during all the times you've lusted over her you've noticed. We wear these as a sign of our commitment to each other."

Abbie laughed a humorless laugh. "Like I give a shit, Olivia. So how long did you wait before trying to get Alex in bed?"

"I didn't try to get Alex in bed."

"Please, Liv. With your history, I'm sure you tried the first night."

"You're wrong, bitch."

"The name's Abbie. Must be nice to be bangin' some rich chick, huh?" Abbie asked nastily.

Olivia moved closer to Abbie in efforts to further intimidate her. "I'm with Alex because I love her. Not because I'm interested in her money."

"Right," Abbie said, refusing to back down.

"Abbie, it would really be in your best interests to mind your own damn business from now on."

"And why is that, Olivia? Please. You're just mad because I found out about your relentless pussy chasing."

"Actually, the only pussy I chase is Alex's," Olivia retorted, grinning.

Abbie scoffed. "You're such a classy chick, Olivia."

Olivia ignored her. "You crossed the line yesterday."

"Whatever…I just found Ashley's recounting of your sexual adventures intriguing," she replied with a wicked smile. "I thought Alex would as well."

Olivia had almost had all she could take of Abbie trying to push her buttons. She decided to resort to the one thing that she knew would wipe the haughty smile off Abbie's face. "Well, listen, Abbie. Since you're so interested in my sex life, let me tell you about me and Alex's. I was her first," Olivia said with a smug smile.

Abbie rolled her eyes. "And do you want a fucking medal because you took Alex's virginity, Olivia?"

"Nah, her praises and declarations of love for me were enough. And guess what? She is fucking _phenomenal _herself. Let me tell you, Alex is the only person who's ever been able to give me multiple orgasms." Olivia grinned at Abbie's obviously shocked expression. She knew she was getting to Abbie now and had her right in the palm of her hand.

"Shut up, Olivia," Abbie ordered.

Of course, Olivia ignored her. "I have a few hickeys, too." Olivia pulled down her turtleneck and showed Abbie a quarter-sized hickey right at the base of her throat. "I also have one around my right nipple, but I think Alex would be more than a little ticked off if I showed you my tits. And better yet," she continued with a nasty grin, leaning in closer to Abbie. "I have a couple in areas, um…a bit more private."

"You're not phasing me, Olivia," Abbie lied, folding her arms.

Olivia laughed wickedly. She could literally see Abbie starting to grit her teeth. "I know _every_ nook and cranny of her like the back of my hand. I know the sound she makes when she's about to come—screaming _my_ name like there's no tomorrow, might I add. I know exactly what she looks like—" She paused and pointed a finger in the direction of her own sex. "Down there. The color, the texture, the smell, the _taste_."

"Liv!"

Olivia cringed. She turned around to see Alex, her pretty features contorted in anger. Alex looked at Abbie and frowned. "Could you give me a moment alone with Liv?"

Abbie glared at Olivia. "Sure, Alex. I was just leaving anyway." She grabbed her stuff and stormed out of the locker room.

Olivia felt herself mentally shrinking. She knew she wasn't going to like whatever Alex had to say to her. The last thing she expected was for Alex to come into the locker room and hear her arrogantly reveal such private, sexual details about her. "How…how did you know where I was?" Olivia asked, trying to delay the inevitable.

"Well, I heard shouting so I just followed the voices," Alex answered, glaring at her and folding her arms over her chest.

"Oh," Olivia responded quietly.

As soon as she was sure Abbie was out of earshot, Alex yelled, "Olivia Benson, how dare you brag about intimate details of my body to her! Our sex life was none of her business! Neither is anything else about us!"

_Better do some major damage control right now, Benson_, Olivia thought."Alex, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. That's the last thing I wanted."

"No, you just _had_ to rub it in, didn't you? How you have me and how she never will, right?" Alex asked, her eyes flashing with anger.

Olivia literally thought she could see blue flames jumping in Alex's eyes. "Alex, I just wanted her to shut up! You should've seen the look on her face when she thought she'd gotten to me! So I told her since she was so interested in my sex life, I'd share a little bit about ours."

"You had no right, Olivia!" Alex yelled, pointing her finger directly at Olivia's nose. "You made it sound like all I was to you was some highly coveted prize that only you were lucky enough to win!"

"Alex, you know that's not true! You know how much I love you! I just wanted Abbie to back off and leave us alone!"

Alex shook her head and began walking away. "I don't want anything to do with you right now."

Olivia ran after her and grabbed her arm. "Please, baby. Don't be like this."

"Get your hands off me, Olivia!" Alex yelled, struggling against her as Olivia grabbed her waist.

"Come on, Alex! Just hear me out!" Olivia begged, preventing Alex from leaving by alternating between blocking her path and grabbing her.

"Liv, I swear if you don't let me go…" Alex threatened.

"Just calm down, baby. Please. Just let me explain and then I'll let you leave."

Alex sighed. She knew it was pointless to keep wrestling with someone as stubborn as Olivia. Alex knew that if she had to, Olivia would grab onto her leg and let herself be dragged along the floor to keep her from escaping. Alex folded her arms and Olivia took that as her sign that she was going to stay and allow her to explain.

"Sweetie, listen," Olivia began, cautiously reaching out to place her hands on Alex's upper arms as if she were afraid that Alex would change her mind and jet at any point. "I thought if she knew how much you loved being with me, she'd stop trying to create tension between us."

"You made me sound like some love-struck puppy that can't get over her insatiable lust for you!"

"Alex, those were not my intentions. You know I'm just as love-struck as you are," Olivia said with a grin.

Alex rolled her eyes and threw her hands up exasperatedly. "You don't get it, do you, Olivia?"

"I just wanted her to get how important you are to me—how you matter to me more than anyone else ever has or ever will."

"That's still not an excuse, Olivia."

"Alex, you have a healthy sexual appetite. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I don't want the whole damn world knowing about it! Abbie has a big mouth!" Alex shouted.

"Alex, everyone at school knows we're dating. If they don't, then they must either be blind, stupid, or live under a rock!"

"But that doesn't mean they know about our sex life!" Alex argued.

"Alex, I'm not ashamed of anything we've done."

"Neither am I! But I like to keep private matters private. What goes on in our bedroom should _stay_ there unless we both agree to share it!"

"Alex, she was clearly getting a kick out of upsetting the both of us!"

"And judging by what I heard you tell her, _you_ were clearly getting a kick out of trying to piss her off!" Alex shook her head again. "I need to be away from you right now."

Olivia panicked and grabbed Alex's arm again. "Can't you see, Alex? She only wants us to break up! She knew you'd be upset and she wanted us to fight!"

"Liv, I didn't say anything about breaking up. I just want some time to cool off."

Olivia shook her head fervently and continued with her pleading to Alex. She wanted to calm Alex down as much as possible and dissuade her from leaving. "Baby, her only reasons for telling you about my sex life with Ashley were to make you jealous and make me seem like some unfit, promiscuous pussy fiend!"

"Well, you just wanted to make _her_ jealous! Olivia, I am not some trophy that you can parade around!"

"I wanted to upset her like she upset you! She made you jealous and I wanted to give her a dose of her own medicine. She hurt my Alikins," Olivia said more softly, pouting at Alex.

Despite herself, Alex couldn't help but smile at Olivia's pet name for her. "It was still wrong, Olivia."

Olivia got down on her knees. "I know sweetie, I know. I'm sorry. How can I make this right?" she asked, looking up at Alex and grasping her hands.

Alex sighed. "By never pulling a stupid stunt like this again."

Olivia wrapped her arms around Alex's legs and held on tight. "I love you so much."

Alex sighed. "I love you, too. But I'm still mad at you," she said with a slight smile, looking down at Olivia and brushing her hair with her hand.

Olivia grinned. "Well, you can punish me in any way you want. I'll even let you lay me across your lap and spank me."

Alex rolled her eyes. "You're insane."

Olivia scooped Alex up off the floor and took her over to a nearby bench, despite Alex's adamant protests. She sat Alex down and then laid herself across her lap, wiggling her bum in expectation. "Go ahead. Give me my due."

Alex laughed. "Olivia Benson, you are completely crazy."

"Go ahead, Alex!" Olivia ordered, grinning.

"You just want me to touch your ass."

"Nah, I just think I deserve a spanking."

Alex rolled her eyes. "That I'm sure you'll enjoy. Come on…get up."

As Olivia started to get up, Alex gave her a hard slap on the ass. "Ow, Alex!" Olivia exclaimed, grabbing her butt defensively.

"Tricked you," Alex said, giggling. "Hey, I'm only doing what you wanted."

Olivia pouted. "It hurts."

Alex stood up and rubbed the spot where she'd hit her. "Feel better?"

Olivia grinned. "Much."

Alex linked her arm through Olivia's. "Come on, Liv. Let's get outta here."

Olivia smiled happily and asked, "Can I interest you in some Cold Stone?"

Alex grinned. "I'm open to some forms of bribes. That's one of them."

"Good," Olivia said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek as they walked out the locker room.

About 15 minutes later, they were pulling into the parking lot of Cold Stone Creamery. "What all did you tell her?" Alex asked when they'd found a parking space.

Olivia took a deep breath. Letting it out, she began recounting their entire conversation to Alex. She felt her stomach sink as Alex's expression grew angrier with each intimate revelation.

"Is that all?" Alex asked, more than a little irritated.

"Well…I also told her about the hickeys you left. The one on my neck, my nipple, my nether regions. I even showed her one," Olivia said with a grin and an eye shag. She wanted to try to lighten the mood. The last thing she wanted was to make Alex angry with her all over again.

Alex gasped. "Which one did you show her?"

"Well, only the one on my neck. I told her you'd be pissed if I showed her my tits."

"The one on your boob…it's not still there, is it?" Alex asked, curiously amused.

Olivia gave her a lopsided smile. "Yep." She pulled up her sweater and bra with one hand to show Alex.

Alex reached a finger out and traced the bruised area right outside her nipple. Olivia's nipple hardened immediately. Alex smiled and shook her head. "Come on, Liv…"

"Hey, she just wanted to come out and say hi. The pokies love Alex."

Alex smiled. "Is it sore?" she asked, gently pressing the area with her finger.

Olivia shook her head. "Nah. Just a little tender." She smiled again. "But I don't have any complaints."

"Good," Alex said, removing her finger.

Olivia looked at her in shock. "What? You're not gonna kiss my boo boo?"

"Liv, isn't that how you got the 'boo boo' in the first place?"

Olivia smirked. "Actually, I think that involved more than just kissing."

Alex leaned down and planted a kiss on the hickey. "Ok, Liv. You got your kiss. Now pull your shirt down. We're in a public parking lot."

Grinning, Olivia pulled down her shirt and opened the car door to get out. "Race ya!" she yelled, running off toward the entrance. Alex soon caught up to her and they both stood panting for several seconds, trying to catch their breath.

After she had caught her breath, Olivia held open the door for Alex. "Why, thank you, Olivia," Alex said, smiling.

"You're welcome," Olivia replied, smiling back at her.

Alex quickly looked back over her shoulder and joked, "I know you only do that because you wanna stare at my ass." Olivia just laughed.

"What mix-ins are you gonna get?" Olivia asked Alex as they were waiting in line.

"Probably Snickers and Oreos."

"Mmm…I want M&M's and Heath bar. What kinda cone do you want?"

Alex grinned. "Chocolate-dipped waffle bowl."

"You read my mind. Me, too," Olivia said, grinning back.

"Can I help you?" the girl behind the counter asked.

Olivia gestured with her hand for Alex to go first. "I want the Black Forest Dream," Alex ordered.

When it was Olivia's turn, she said, "I'd like the Our Strawberry Blonde."

After giving the specifics of their orders and choosing their mix-ins, the girls waited while their ice cream was prepared. Olivia poked Alex in the side and Alex reciprocated with her own poke in Olivia's side. Olivia wrapped her arms around Alex's waist and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. Alex giggled and began to blush. The girl preparing their ice cream just smiled at them. Olivia paid for their ice cream and then they took a seat at an empty table.

They cross-linked their arms and fed each other ice cream from the other's waffle bowl. "Wow…yours is delicious, Liv."

"So is yours. I love the cherry pie filling," Olivia said with a wink.

Alex shook her head. "Liv, how did I know you'd make a comment like that?"

"Am I that predictable?" Olivia asked, grinning.

Alex grinned back. "Yep." She scooped up some more ice cream with her spoon and placed a dab on Olivia's nose. Alex burst out laughing as Olivia tried to make her tongue reach the tip of her nose to get the ice cream off. Olivia eventually gave up and just wiped it off with her finger and placed the ice cream on her tongue.

Several minutes later, they left Cold Stone holding their stomachs. "Oh man, I'm so full," Alex groaned.

"Tell me about it," Olivia agreed. She reached for Alex's hand. "So may I escort you home, my lady?"

Alex smiled. "Yes, you may." They began walking back to Olivia's car. Alex turned to look at her and added, "But we really do have to get work done. There will not be a repeat of yesterday afternoon's…_activities_."

Olivia just smiled and chuckled to herself. "Whatever you say, Cabot. Whatever you say."


	15. Dark Angel

**Chapter 15: Dark Angel**

"I rarely see you and Serena together anymore," Alex's mother remarked at dinner.

Alex stopped cutting into her steak. "We've been busy."

"You and Olivia seem to have gotten closer," Madeline continued, taking a sip of her wine.

Alex turned crimson. "Uh…yeah. I guess we have."

"Friendships change all the time, dear," Alex's father told his wife. "Perhaps Olivia and Alex have more in common."

_Thank God you don't know how much_, Alex thought. "Yeah, Liv and I have a lot of similar interests. And we have more classes together than Serena and I do. We study together a lot."

"I'm certain of it," Madeline responded, offering her a wry smile.

_What the hell is that supposed to mean?_ Alex wondered. "The Bergman Charity Gala is this weekend, right?" she asked, desperate to change the subject.

"That is correct. The Carlsons' eldest son is a very nice gentleman and I hear he still does not have a date," Alex's mother replied, looking at her pointedly.

Alex almost choked on her roll. _Shit, not this again._ "Um…actually I was thinking about taking Olivia."

Her mother and father both stopped eating and stared at her. "Excuse me?" Madeline asked.

Alex willed herself to keep her cool and not be intimidated by her parents' stares. "Well…Olivia has never been to anything like it, so I thought I'd take her," she replied in a very calm, level voice.

"Don't you think it would be a bit odd to bring another girl to a gala?" Madeline inquired.

"No. It would be nice to just be myself for once and not be stuck with some boring, lame guy who drones on and on about his newest set of Callaway golf clubs."

"Hey now. I happen to like my Callaways," her father said, smiling at her over his wine glass.

Madeline sighed and conceded, "If Olivia wants to go, then she can. However, I will arrange for her to have a date as well."

Alex almost spit out her water. "Mom, I really don't think that's necessary. We can just go together."

"Alexandra, why are you so adamant about not going with a boy?" Madeline asked.

Alex rolled her eyes. "The last time I was with a boy, it didn't turn out very well. Or has it slipped your mind? I'm taking a break from boys right now. Don't wanna be put into a situation where I'll be…tempted," she lied, staring into her mother's eyes.

Her mother frowned. "Your sarcasm is highly unwarranted and unappreciated, Alexandra."

"Oh come on, Mom!" Alex exclaimed, slamming her fork down onto the table. "I wanna have fun and I can't if I'm uncomfortable all night next to some loser guy! Plus, I think it would be a good bonding moment for Olivia and me."

"Haven't you two bonded enough?" her mother snapped.

Alex's mouth dropped open. "What do you mean by that?"

"She has a point, Madeline. We don't want a repeat of last time. It's better to be safe than sorry. After all, it's only a gala. I don't see why she can't take Olivia," John remarked. Alex smiled sweetly at her father.

Madeline looked at her husband. "Excuse me? Next, she'll want to go with her to prom, too!"

Alex decided to keep her mouth shut this time. "Nonsense, dear. You're making a mountain out of a molehill," John argued. "What kind of trouble can two beautiful girls get into at a gala full of adults?"

_Probably more than you know_, Madeline thought bitterly. "Fine, she can take Olivia," she decided. "There is no point in engaging in this useless argument any further."

"May I be excused?" Alex asked, although secretly jumping with joy inside.

"Of course you may," John answered, flashing his daughter a smile. Alex pushed back her chair, ran over and gave her father a kiss on the cheek, then quickly retreated upstairs.

When she got to her room, she stretched out across her bed and dialed Olivia. "Hey, sweetie," Olivia answered.

"Hey," Alex said, sighing deeply.

"Is there something wrong?" Olivia asked, sitting up on her bed and crossing her legs Indian-style under her.

"Kinda. We were eating dinner tonight and Mom starts talking about how I don't hang out with Serena anymore and how you and I have gotten really close."

Olivia sucked in a sharp breath. Letting it out, she asked, "What did you say?"

"I told her Serena had been really busy lately and you and I study together a lot since we have a lot of classes together."

"Then what happened?"

"We started talking about the Charity Gala. Well, she suggested that I go with one of the Carlson boys. I told them I wanted to take you and Mom started flipping out."

"Flipping out how?" Olivia asked nervously.

"She wanted to know why I was so against going with a guy. I told her that after the Mike thing, I didn't wanna be put in a situation where I could be tempted and get in trouble again. She said you could come, but she was gonna find a date for you."

"She wants to make me go with some guy?" Olivia asked incredulously.

"She got over it. Dad pitched in and said he didn't see a problem with us going together. Mom was all like, 'Next, she'll wanna take her to the prom!'"

"Well…we are going to prom together. What did she say to that?"

"Nothing because I didn't tell her. Dad told her that she was making a mountain out of a mole hill and there wasn't any trouble two girls could get in at a gala with lots of adults around. So Mom gave in and said I could take you and she was done with the conversation. Then I excused myself and came up here."

"Well, if she's uncomfortable with the idea of us attending a little gala together, then she's probably gonna have a heart attack when she finds out I'm taking you to prom. How the hell are you gonna break _that_ ice?"

"Maybe I'll run away from home," Alex joked. "But she's not gonna ruin my prom night because I don't fit her mold of a perfect society daughter."

Olivia was proud of Alex's declaration. "Sounds like you have some major finessing to do, baby."

"Yeah, I know." Alex paused for a second. "I don't know why she was so opposed to me taking you anyway. You…you don't think that she suspects anything, do you? She did say something that weirded me out."

"Uh…I dunno. I sure hope not. What did she say?"

"After I lied to her about not wanting to get into trouble with anymore boys, I said I wouldn't have any fun because I'd be uncomfortable all night if I had to go with that guy. Then I told her that taking you would be a good bonding moment for us, and she was like, 'Haven't you girls bonded enough?'"

Olivia sucked in another sharp breath. "That sounds suspicious. We really have to be careful, baby."

"What are we gonna do, Liv?"

Olivia sighed. "Well, at the gala and from now on in front of your parents, we need to kinda lay low—not get too touchy feely or anything like that. We have plenty of private time alone. We can be affectionate then."

"But I wanna at least still be able to hug you without feeling like the gay brigade is gonna bust in at any moment."

Olivia chuckled. "Well, I'm sure one or two innocent hugs wouldn't hurt. And I'd like at least a dance with my angel."

Alex giggled. "Aww, Liv. You're so sweet."

"Hey, I try," Olivia replied.

"Do you think your mom suspects anything?" Alex asked.

Olivia paused momentarily to ponder before answering. "No. Her behavior hasn't really changed towards me."

"Good. I hope I'm just being paranoid about my mom."

"Yeah, me too. But I wouldn't bet money on it," Olivia responded. "Do you know what you're gonna wear yet?"

"Something sexy."

"Well, not too sexy, I hope," Olivia replied with a chuckle.

"Something red. Valentine's Day _is_ coming up next week. What are you gonna wear?"

"I dunno. Maybe we can find matching red dresses."

Alex giggled. "That would be really cute. We'd kinda be twins."

"You don't think your mom will flip, will she?"

"Nah. Friends wear matching outfits all the time," Alex replied matter-of-factly.

"You wanna go dress shopping tomorrow after practice?" Olivia asked.

"You read my mind," Alex said, grinning.

Olivia chuckled. She then looked down at her blank piece of paper and sighed. "Have you drawn your noses yet for art?"

"I got half of one done but then I had to eat dinner."

"What magazines did you use?" Olivia continued.

"I found some really good examples in Cosmo. There are also some good ones in Vogue and Seventeen."

"Can I come over and use one? I don't have any good girly magazines lying around."

Alex laughed. "I was hoping you would ask that. And bring the rest of your stuff so you can spend the night."

Olivia grinned. "Ok. I'll be over in a few minutes."

"Ok, I love you, Liv."

"I love you, too, baby," Olivia responded.

* * *

When Olivia came up to Alex's bedroom, she saw that Alex had several magazines laid out on her bed. Alex put down her graphite drawing pencil and smiled up at Olivia. "Who let you in?"

"Your dad," Olivia replied, taking a seat on Alex's bed and beginning to look through the magazines for photos to use. When she found a photo of a face that was large enough for her to do a life-size nose replica, she cut out the nose and began drawing.

Alex lightly smudged a pencil line with her finger to create a depth-enhancing shadow around the nose that matched the model's nose in the magazine. She picked up her kneaded eraser and then lightly erased an area to depict where the light hit the model's nose. Olivia looked down at Alex's paper and remarked, "Wow, Al. Your nose looks just like the one in the picture."

Alex grinned. "Thanks. I'll be glad when we start drawing hair, though."

"Me, too. I think showing light and shadows will be easier with hair than other parts of the face."

"I'm kinda looking forward to eyes, too. I'd like to draw yours and turn it in. They're beautiful," Alex said with a smile.

Olivia blushed. "You really think so?"

"I know so," Alex said, leaning in and kissing her forehead. Olivia smiled sweetly at her. They continued drawing for several more minutes in comfortable silence. Oddly enough, Olivia found that Alex's presence made it easier for her to concentrate on her drawing, and her drawings came out better than when she worked alone. From time to time, they looked up from their work and just smiled at each other.

When Alex finished, she put her work in her portfolio and said, "I'm hungry. I'm gonna go downstairs to get a snack. You want something?"

"Sure," Olivia responded with a smile, adding the finishing touches to her second nose. Alex jumped up off the bed and bounded downstairs.

She returned with two glasses of fruit punch and a plate of nachos and cheese sauce. She sat down on her bed next to Olivia and folded one leg underneath herself. "Help yourself."

Olivia dipped one of the chips in some cheese and held it out to Alex's lips. Alex took a bite and said, "Mmm…I love it when you feed me."

"And I love feeding you," Olivia responded, wiping some of the cheese sauce from the side of Alex's mouth.

"I love feeding you, too," Alex said, reciprocating by dipping a chip in some cheese and feeding it to Olivia.

After they were done eating, Olivia asked, "So what do you wanna do now?"

Alex smiled. "Well…Mom got me these spa mud masks the other day. We can give each other facials!"

Olivia chuckled. "You're such a girl." She brushed some of Alex's hair behind her ear and added, "But it sounds like fun."

They went into Alex's bathroom and Alex pulled the masks out from under her sink. "Let's do each other!"

"Ok," Olivia conceded. She pulled a rubber band out of her pocket and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Alex also pulled her hair back into a ponytail with a scrunchie.

"I love it when your hair is in a ponytail, Liv. It's so cute!"

Olivia grinned. "It drives the ladies a little wild," she joked.

Alex began reading the directions. "Ooh…these contain dead sea minerals." She wet her face and handed the mask to Olivia. "Ok, put it on me. Be careful not to get it in my eyes. It says to leave on for 5 to 10 minutes."

Olivia squeezed some of the product into her hand and gently massaged it into Alex's face. "How does it feel?" she asked.

"Ok right now. I can feel it tightening a little. Now it's my turn to do you!" Alex said excitedly.

Olivia splashed some warm water on her face and Alex began applying the mask. When Alex was done, she and Olivia both turned to look at themselves in the mirror. Alex draped her arm across Olivia's shoulders and asked, "How do you think we look?"

"Weird," Olivia responded, which warranted a shove from Alex. "Hey, hey. I was just teasing. I think we look beautiful."

"Good," Alex replied, tugging on Olivia's short ponytail. "Hey, I can paint your toenails while we wait!"

Olivia looked at Alex like she was crazy. "Um…I dunno about that."

"Come on, Liv! It'll be fun!"

Olivia sighed. "All right."

Alex pulled out her set of M.A.C. nail lacquers. She picked up "Dark Angel" (a dark lilac) and "Spicemix" (a brownish red frost). "Hmm…I think one of these two would look best on you. Which one do you want?"

Olivia pointed to the dark lilac polish and said, "I like this one better."

Alex returned the other polish to her collection and said, "Ok. Dark Angel it is."

Olivia smirked. "Dark Angel?"

Alex shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah. That's what it's called."

"Do you think it describes me or something?" Olivia asked curiously.

Alex shrugged again. "Well…I dunno. Maybe a little. Sometimes when I look into your eyes it seems like there is something kinda dark that's troubling you in the midst of all your happiness."

Olivia's dark brown eyes suddenly clouded over. She contemplated whether or not she should tell Alex about her father and the circumstances of her birth. Alex immediately noticed and asked, "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Olivia shook her head. "It's nothing," she lied, her eyes downcast.

Alex cocked her head to the side and gently lifted Olivia's chin. "Sweetie…don't be like this with me. What's going on? You know you can tell me anything. Is it your mom after all?"

Olivia shook her head again. "No. Not her."

Alex became worried. "Is it something you did?"

"No. Nothing like that," Olivia assured her, looking directly into her eyes.

"Then why won't you tell me, Liv?" Alex asked, picking up one of Olivia's hands.

Olivia looked down at her hand in Alex's and sighed. Making eye contact again, she said, "It's something I've been dealing with since birth. Listen, I just don't wanna get into it right now, ok?" She looked like she was on the brink of tears.

Alex nodded. She decided that it was just best to let Olivia come forth and open up to her on her own time. She wrapped her in a warm hug and whispered in her ear, "Whenever you wanna tell me, I'll be here for you. No matter how bad you think it is, nothing you could ever say will change how I feel about you. Ok?"

Olivia nodded and tried to force a little smile. "Ok," she said quietly. She took the nail polish out of Alex's hand and said, "Come on. Let's get my toes done."

They sat down across from each other on the bathroom floor. Alex grabbed some Warm Vanilla Sugar body cream from Bath & Body Works and began massaging it into Olivia's feet. "That smells really good, Alex."

Alex smiled. "Thanks. I've always liked this fragrance." She unscrewed the top from the polish and brushed the excess polish on the top edge of the bottle. She then began to paint Olivia's toenails in slow, meticulous strokes.

When she was finished, Olivia asked, "How long before it dries?"

"Not too long," Alex replied, leaning down and blowing on her toes.

"It's pretty," Olivia remarked.

"It is," Alex replied. "It looks great on you."

Olivia wiggled her toes. "It does, huh?"

Alex got up off the floor and began washing the mask off her face. Olivia followed suit. Alex handed her a face towel and asked, "How does your face feel now?"

"Squeaky clean," Olivia replied with a smile.

"Yeah, same here. My pores feel a lot tighter." She began putting the rest of her stuff away and asked, "You wanna watch a movie?"

"Sounds good. But I need to take a shower first."

"Ok. Wait like 5 minutes just to make sure your nails are dry, though."

"Ok," Olivia replied, beginning to pull off her top. She walked back into Alex's bedroom and got some clothes out of her bag before returning to the bathroom.

As the hot spray of the shower poured over her face and body, Olivia sighed deeply. She wanted to reveal her personal history to Alex and she felt bad about not being completely honest with her. She wanted to wait until the right time to tell her, but she didn't know when that would be—if ever. She re-evaluated Alex's comments on a dark element to her psyche, but even though Alex had assured her that her opinion of her would not change, she couldn't be so sure how Alex would feel when she found out exactly how dark her history ran. However, she knew that if anyone would be able to help her understand herself and get through it, it would be Alex.

Olivia climbed into bed slightly damp in a white wife beater and a pair of plaid boxers. Alex cuddled up to her and ran a hand down her arm. "You're so beautiful."

Olivia smiled at her and gently kissed her lips. "Thank you."

"You know…you're the best thing that's ever happened to me," Alex said softly, kissing her on the forehead.

Olivia smiled. "And you're the best thing to ever happen to me, too. God, Alex. I really don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never have to be without me. I'm yours forever."

Olivia felt her heart melt. "You really mean that?"

"Yes. I can't imagine a future without you."

Olivia pulled Alex closer to her and tightly hugged her. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Liv. So what movie do you wanna watch?"

Olivia shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

Alex untangled herself from Olivia and put "Saving Face" in the DVD changer. She then ran back over to her bed and jumped in beside Olivia.

"What's this about?" Olivia asked, cuddling up to Alex and laying her head on her chest.

Alex looked down at Olivia and smiled. She loved it when Olivia leaned on her and let her take care of her. She loved making Olivia feel just as safe as Olivia made her feel. Stroking her hair gently, she replied, "It's about these two Asian women who fall in love with each other. One's a ballet dancer and the other's a surgeon."

"Sounds cute," Olivia replied.

"Yeah. I love this movie," Alex said, moving her hand down farther to stroke Olivia's side.

As the movie progressed, Alex continued to hold Olivia in her arms. There was something so strong, yet so fragile about her, and she was determined to do whatever she could to protect her—even if it was from herself.


	16. Balance

**Chapter 16: Balance**

The next afternoon at the mall, Alex and Olivia were pushing back dresses on the racks in Bloomingdale's. "Has Abbie said anything else to you?" Olivia asked Alex.

"Nah. Not since that fiasco last week."

"Good. I really wish she'd just stay out of our lives."

"Yeah, me too," Alex muttered, pulling off a red satin dress with a v-neck halter and diamond-studded center. It had an open back which stopped a few inches above the waist and was floor-length with cascading pleats. Her entire face lit up. "Oh my god, Liv! Look how gorgeous this is!"

Olivia pulled an identical one off the rack. "Wow," she said simply, holding the dress up against her body.

"Liv, we totally have to try this on!" Alex exclaimed, grabbing Olivia by the hand and pulling her toward the dressing rooms.

Once inside an empty room, the girls undressed and tried on their dresses. Olivia ran her fingers over the intricate diamond design that rested right over her heart. "This gown is so beautiful, Alex."

"It is," Alex said softly, running her hands over the smooth material. Turning around to see how the back looked in the mirror, she suddenly frowned and asked, "Does this dress make my ass look big?"

Olivia looked around to examine how the dress hugged Alex's hips and complimented her, "Not at all. It looks very, very nice. You have beautiful curves."

Smiling, Alex looked around at Olivia's butt and remarked, "I can say the same for you, too."

"Thanks," Olivia responded with a grin.

"So this is the dress we're getting?" Alex asked.

Olivia picked up the price tag and frowned. "I dunno, Alex…the price is a little steep."

Alex brushed Olivia's comment off with a wave of her hand. "Oh, don't worry about that, Liv. I'll pay for it."

Olivia cocked her head to the side and gave Alex a look. "Alex…I don't want you buying me everything."

Alex frowned. "What Abbie said really got to you, huh?"

Olivia sighed. "Kinda. But even if she'd never said it, it would still make me uncomfortable. Just because you have it doesn't mean you have to spend it all on me. You've definitely spent too much on me, already."

"Liv, I really don't mind. No price is too high to make you happy."

Olivia was touched at Alex's love and generosity for her but she still had her reservations. "Alex, I just don't wanna feel like a charity case."

"Come on, Liv. You know in your heart that it's not like that. And it's not like you haven't spent a shitload of money on _me_. I really want us to have matching dresses. The other red ones are ugly and the only other dress we both liked was sold out of your size. Save your money for something else you like."

Olivia smiled. "Ok, Alex."

Alex held Olivia's face in her hands and said, "I love you, Liv. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. You're my princess."

Olivia felt tears prick her eyes. "Oh, Alex," she said softly. She was used to thinking of Alex as her princess but she'd never had anyone refer to her as theirs before.

Alex leaned in and gently kissed her lips. "We're gonna look so beautiful Saturday," she whispered.

"I know," Olivia responded, deepening the kiss.

"Come on, let's check out," Alex replied, pulling back from Olivia and slipping out of the dress.

After Alex had paid for their gowns, they headed to Macy's to find shoes. Alex picked up a pair of open-toed red stilettos with triple ankle straps and a clear 4 inch heel. She held them out to Olivia in excitement. "Liv, aren't these hot?"

Olivia gasped and whined, "Alex…if you wear a heel that high I'm gonna have to stand on my tippy toes to kiss you."

"Silly, you're gonna be wearing heels, too!"

Olivia looked down at the shoes in Alex's hand and scoffed. "Not that high. I wanna be able to walk without twisting an ankle!"

"Come on, Liv! These are the exact same color as our dresses."

"So are about 20 other pairs of shoes here! Alex, you're already 5'9"! You don't need heels that tall!"

"Actually, I'm 5'9 ½," Alex said with a grin. "And you're 5'7 ½" so if we wear the same size heel, then it will still only be a 2 inch difference."

"Alex, there is no way in hell I'm wearing a 4 inch heel. End of story," Olivia argued, crossing her arms over her chest.

Alex sighed. "Ok, Liv. Let's compromise. How about 3 ½?"

Olivia laughed. "Sweetie, a half inch? That's hardly a compromise. Let's do 2."

"2 ½," Alex argued.

Now it was Olivia's turn to sigh. "Ok. 2 ½ it is." She shook her head and put her arm around Alex's waist. "Oh, the things I do for love."

Alex grinned. "2 ½ really isn't all that bad."

"I agree," Olivia conceded. "But 4 definitely is."

Alex picked up the box of shoes in her size and then handed Olivia an identical one in hers. "Come on. Let's pay for these and get outta here. I wanna go eat. I'm starving!"

Olivia smiled and patted Alex's tummy. "What's new?" she joked. "But shouldn't we try them on first just to make sure they fit?"

Alex sighed. "All right, all right."

After trying them on, they each paid for their shoes and then headed for the food court. "So what do you wanna get?" Olivia asked Alex, holding her hand so she wouldn't lose her in the throng of people milling about.

Alex shrugged a shoulder. "Oh…I dunno. I think I'm in the mood for some Chinese."

"Me, too," Olivia replied, staring up at the Chen's Wok menu. "Hey! Watch it, ass!" she shouted as some guy bumped into her shoulder.

Alex rolled her eyes. "What an idiot."

After placing their orders of bourbon and orange chicken with fried rice, they stood in line and waited for their food to be prepared. When it was time to pay, Olivia held her money over the counter and gently pushed Alex's hand back.

"Liv, it's ok. I can pay for my own," Alex objected.

"No. My treat," Olivia said, smiling sweetly at Alex. Alex smiled in return and put away her wallet. They then picked up their trays and sat down at an empty table.

Alex dug right in. "Mmm…I love bourbon chicken," she said, savoring a bite.

"Me, too. But I like the tangy sauce of the orange a little better," Olivia replied.

Alex speared some of her orange chicken and held it out to Olivia's lips. Olivia bit the chicken off the fork and reached for Alex's hand across the table. "I love you," Olivia said around her mouthful.

Alex grinned. "I know." She felt for Olivia's foot under the table and then began lightly rubbing hers against it.

"Why, Alexandra, are you playing footsie with me?" Olivia asked teasingly.

"That I am," Alex answered.

"Good. Cuz I like it when you play footsie with me," Olivia responded, taking a sip of her Sprite.

They proceeded to finish their meal, making casual conversation from time to time. "Come on, let's go to the gym," Olivia suggested as she ate her last bite of chicken.

Alex raised an eyebrow and smirked. "The gym?"

"Yeah. You can watch me work out," Olivia said, getting up to empty her tray.

Alex grinned. "A huge opportunity to see you purposely hot and sweaty? I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Olivia chuckled. "Yeah. I figure I'm gonna need the extra strength so I can carry you off the ballroom floor when you twist your ankle."

Alex threw her straw paper at her. "Liv, we only got the 2 ½ inch, remember? That's hardly enough to make a two-year-old twist her ankle."

Olivia shook her head. "I have yet to see a two-year-old wearing any type of heel, Alex," she told her matter-of-factly.

Alex took a final swig from her cup before discarding it with her empty plate. She grabbed Olivia's hand and they began walking toward her car. "Well…our little girl is gonna learn to master the art of heel-wearing very early."

Olivia stopped and gave Alex a lopsided grin. "Um…Alex, how do you even know you're gonna have a girl?"

Alex's mouth dropped open. "Me? Who said I was getting pregnant first?"

Olivia placed her hands on Alex's sides and gently swayed her back and forth. "Well, you know…you have those child-bearing hips."

Alex rolled her eyes and shoved her shoulder. "Whatever, Liv. I think you'd look absolutely beautiful pregnant."

"So would you," Olivia said, placing a kiss on her lips. "And I'd get to pamper you all the time."

Alex blushed. "Well…I think it would be cute if we carried each other's eggs."

Olivia smiled and replied, "I agree. But we'd have to find a suitable sperm donor."

"Yeah." Alex then shook her head. "This is insane, Liv. We're already talking about kids!"

Olivia laughed. "Yeah, I think we did skip some really big steps along the way. Ah well, we don't have to worry about kids for many years to come."

"Thank God," Alex muttered. "I don't want any until I'm at least 30."

"So you really see a future with me?" Olivia asked.

Alex smiled and squeezed Olivia's hand reassuringly. "Of course I do."

"30 is a long time away," Olivia replied.

Alex draped her arm around Olivia's shoulders. "Well, I can't imagine it without you."

"I love you," Olivia whispered, kissing her again. She lightly nibbled on Alex's bottom lip and then pulled back. "But you know I'm a challenge."

Alex grinned. "I know. But so am I."

"We mesh well. And we balance each other out," Olivia said softly, pressing her forehead against Alex's.

"Yes, we do," Alex responded, giving Olivia another quick kiss. "Come on. If we keep standing here, we'll never make it to the gym."

Olivia grinned and put their bags in the trunk. She then threw the keys to Alex. Alex looked at her quizzically. Olivia smiled and informed her, "You're driving."

Alex grinned. "You'd let me drive your car?"

Olivia shrugged. "Sure. I trust you with my heart, so why wouldn't I trust you with my car? After all, next month you'll have your license."

Alex gave her a kiss on the cheek and opened the passenger side door for her. "Thanks, Liv."

Once they were buckled in, Olivia joked, "Just don't kill us."

Alex shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Liv. You're safe with me. If Daddy can ride with me without having a heart attack, I think you'll be ok, too."

Olivia smiled. "Then let's roll, Miss Cabot."


	17. Workout

**Chapter 17: Workout**

Once in the locker room at Gold's, Olivia changed into a tank top and shorts while Alex sat on a bench and watched. "Sure you don't wanna work out, too, babe?" Olivia teased.

Alex gave her a look. "Liv, you already know the answer to that. Jogging and gymnastics give me plenty of exercise." Alex suddenly smiled. "Speaking of jogging, why don't you accompany me one morning?"

Olivia snorted. "Alex, you jog at 6 in the morning. That is way too early for my tastes. Gotta get my beauty sleep, ya know."

Alex stood up and kissed her on the cheek. "You don't need it."

Olivia smiled and slapped her on the back. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, babe."

"I'm serious. You're the most beautiful girl in the world," Alex said, running a hand through her hair and kissing her nose.

"As are you," Olivia replied. She took Alex's hand and said, "Come on, let's get this party started."

After adjusting her weights, Olivia lay back against the bench and carefully lifted the barbell off the pegs above her head. Alex immediately became nervous. "Liv, be careful! I don't want you to get hurt," she warned.

Olivia smirked. She brought the barbell forward over her chest and began to pump it up and down, being careful to take deep breaths as she brought the weight down and exhale when she lifted it again. "Trust me, sweetie. This is nothing. I can easily press 150."

Alex smiled. She found Olivia's added grunts to be cute but sexy. She was still worried about her safety, but she was confident that Olivia knew the ropes enough to use caution and take care of herself.

After three sets of 10 repetitions with short breaks in between, Olivia placed the barbell back on the rack above her and sat up. "Whew! What a workout!"

Alex ran her hands over Olivia's sweaty biceps and said, "Mmm…I can tell."

Olivia grinned her lopsided grin and leaned closer to Alex. "You like what you see?"

"Oh yeah," Alex replied, nodding and staring at Olivia's muscles. "God, you're so hot."

Olivia wiped the sweat dripping from her brow with the back of her hand. "Literally."

Alex grabbed a towel to wipe Olivia's face. She also handed her a bottle of water. Olivia took a few swigs and then gave it back to Alex. "What are you gonna do next?" Alex asked.

"Those punching bags are looking mighty good for it," Olivia said, heading over to a large punching bag and taking several deep breaths before landing her first hard blow.

Alex watched in amazement as Olivia pummeled away. "Damn, sweetie. Have a little frustration you need to let out?"

"Yep," Olivia said, not letting her eyes or her fists leave the bag.

Alex gently put a hand on her back. "Don't wear yourself out, baby."

Olivia momentarily stopped what she was doing. "Stand back, sweetie. I don't wanna accidentally elbow you or anything."

Alex did as she was told. She thought that Olivia looked incredibly sexy throwing punch after punch. She couldn't help but get a little turned on as she noticed Olivia's nipples hardening through the tank.

When Olivia finally stopped, several rivulets of sweat were dripping off her face. She ran her hands through her damp hair and then shook her head vigorously. Alex laughed and stood back to avoid getting wet. "Careful, sweetie!" she said with a laugh.

Olivia grinned. "I thought you'd like that. But I'm not done yet. I still need to do my leg presses."

Alex ran a hand down her face. "Sweetie, you need to rest. Look at you. Poor baby's burning up."

Olivia chuckled. "Well, that I am."

Alex picked up the water bottle and poured a little over Olivia's head. "Feel cooler?"

"Much," Olivia said with a smile.

"Are the pokies thirsty?" Alex asked, pouring the remaining water over Olivia's chest.

"Mmm…yes, they are. Man, that feels good, Alex."

"I have something that will feel a little better," Alex said sultrily, slipping her hands under Olivia's shirt and rubbing them over her breasts that were slick with a combination of the water and her sweat. Olivia's nipples hardened even more against her fingers. "Baby, your nipples are so hard."

Gulping, Olivia bit her lip and looked down at her chest. "Alex, you're such a tease," she mumbled.

"Who said I was teasing?" Alex asked, covering Olivia's mouth with her own.

Olivia hungrily returned the kiss, battling Alex's tongue for dominance. She pushed her tongue farther down Alex's throat when she felt Alex lightly pinch her nipples. Becoming more aroused by the second, she suddenly broke away, her chest heaving.

Alex gave her a confused look. "What's wrong, Liv?"

"I want you too much," Olivia responded breathlessly.

"And you can have me," Alex whispered, slipping her hand down inside the front of Olivia's shorts.

Olivia gasped sharply. "Sweetie, w-what are you doing?"

Alex grinned. "Last time I checked it was called touching you," she replied, tugging on Olivia's dampened curls.

Olivia blushed. "But Alex, I'm all sweaty…down there."

"I know. And I don't mind."

"You don't think that's gross?" Olivia asked in shock.

Alex shook her head. "Not at all. Baby, nothing about you is gross to me."

Olivia licked her lips in expectation of what was to come. She grabbed Alex's hand and dragged her to the locker room.

Once they were alone, Alex slowly eased Olivia's shorts and underwear off her hips. "Mmm…" she moaned, slowly lowering herself to her knees in front of Olivia's center.

Olivia looked down nervously. She suddenly became self-conscious. "Sweetie…you really don't have to do this."

"But I want to…" Alex insisted, dragging the tips of her fingers up and down Olivia's center.

"Alex, let me shower first. I smell like sweat."

Alex looked up at Olivia. Continuing to stare into her eyes, she stuck her tongue out and slowly dragged it up the length of Olivia's slit. Olivia shuddered involuntarily. Feeling her knees get weak, she leaned back against the wall to brace herself as Alex parted her folds and bathed her sex with her tongue. "I love you, Liv. Every single part of you," Alex mumbled.

Olivia closed her eyes and tangled a hand in Alex's hair. "I love you, too," she replied as Alex stood up and inserted two fingers inside her. Placing her other hand at the back of Olivia's neck, she pulled her in for a long, searing kiss. Eventually breaking away, she told her to remove her shirt. After Olivia threw her tank on the floor, Alex slid down a little and hungrily began sucking her nipples as she pumped faster and deeper. Olivia moaned and forced herself harder on Alex's hand. Alex pressed her thumb hard against her clit and consumed her mouth again. Before long, Olivia's muscles began to clench around her fingers and she came hard against Alex's hand.

Olivia desperately tried to catch her breath. "Sweetie, that was amazing."

Alex grinned. "I agree. Still wanna do those leg presses?" she teased.

Olivia shook her head. "Not today. My baby has worn me out."

Alex giggled. "That was the plan."

Olivia smirked. "Well, I can't stand here naked forever. I'm gonna go shower. Wanna join me?"

Alex draped her arms across Olivia's shoulders and replied, "Well, I think I'm gonna have to pass on this one. If we shower together, the gym will be closed by the time we get out. Besides, I don't have anymore clothes to change into."

Olivia gave her a lopsided grin. "Well, you could wear a towel home."

Alex scoffed. "Yeah right, Liv. Especially in this weather."

"I'll keep you warm," Olivia said softly, leaning in closer to plant a kiss on her lips. She slipped her hands under Alex's shirt and rubbed them up and down her back. With a flick of her wrist, she unlatched her clasp and slid her hands around to the front to caress her breasts under her bra.

Suddenly, Alex's cell phone began ringing. "Shit!" she exclaimed, trying to bend down to grab the phone out of her purse.

Olivia moved to stop her hand. "Don't answer it," she said, pressing her tongue against her neck.

"Liv, I have to!" she said, looking at the caller ID and seeing that it was her mom. "And stop sucking on me like that! She'll hear!"

Olivia just chuckled and continued doing what she was doing.

"Hello?" Alex answered, trying to push Olivia's face away from her neck.

"Hello, Alex. Where are you?" her mother inquired.

"Um…I'm at the gym with Olivia," Alex replied as Olivia lifted up her shirt and began kissing her stomach. She reached down and tried to push Olivia away again but to no avail.

"The gym? Did you girls get your dresses?"

"Yes, Mom. But we came here so we could work out," Alex answered. She was trying hard to not be distracted by Olivia but was finding it increasingly more difficult. Olivia lifted a hand to pinch a nipple, causing Alex to quickly stifle a moan and pinch Olivia's arm in return.

"I never knew you as the type to lift weights," her mother responded dryly.

"Mom, there are other things at the gym besides weights. Like the abductor press. It helps me exercise my thigh muscles. They need to be strong for gymnastics."

"I have something else that will help you exercise those muscles," Olivia muttered against her stomach, unzipping Alex's pants and sliding a hand inside her panties.

Gasping loudly, Alex pulled the phone away from her ear and thumped Olivia on the side of her head. "Liv, get up right now!" she whispered harshly.

Olivia grinned and stood up beside Alex. "Feisty, feisty," she said, planting a big kiss on her cheek.

Alex rolled her eyes and put the phone back to her ear. "What were you saying, Mom?"

"I was asking how you girls fit into your dresses."

"Perfectly. We found matching ones."

"I see," her mother responded. "Well, I'll let you get back to your…exercising. I will see you when you get home."

"Um, actually Mom, I was thinking of spending the night at Liv's. But I need to come by later and get some things."

Her mother sighed deeply on her side of the line. "Fine, dear. Just make sure you get your work done and that you two go to bed at a reasonable hour. I will call Serena and have her check on you."

"Mom…we don't actually need Olivia's mom to watch our every move. We're big girls. We can handle ourselves."

"I'm sure you can. But I'd feel much more comfortable if Serena checked in on you from time to time."

This time it was Alex's turn to sigh. "Fine, Mom. See you later. Love you."

"I love you, too, dear. Goodbye."

Alex closed her phone and then shoved Olivia's shoulder. "Liv, I cannot believe you did that while I was on the phone with my _mom_!"

Olivia laughed. "Oh, come on. You know you enjoyed every bit of it."

Alex turned red. "That's not the point! You chose to molest me while she was on the other end!"

Olivia laughed harder. "Molest you? Alex, you're the one who fucked the shit outta me just a few minutes before she called."

Alex blushed harder. She turned Olivia around and pushed her toward the showers. "Shower. _Now_."

Olivia looked over her shoulder and joked, "You sure you don't wanna come?"

Alex slapped her hard on the ass. "Just go!"

"Ow!" Olivia yelped. "Alex, if you wanted to spank me, then all you had to do was ask!"

Alex rolled her eyes and said, "You are completely insane, Olivia Benson."

Olivia walked back over and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Alex, you're not really mad at me are you?" she asked with a pout. "I don't like it when you're mad at me."

Alex looked into those big brown eyes and felt herself melting. "Oh, Liv. You and your goo-goo eyes. No, I'm not mad at you." Olivia grinned. Alex kissed her on the nose and continued, "I still think you're crazy."

"Good crazy or bad crazy?" Olivia asked, running her hands over Alex's hips.

Alex smirked. "It depends on the circumstance. Now will you please go shower? For me?"

"Ok, sweetie," Olivia replied, planting a quick kiss on her lips. "I'll be out in a few, ok?"

Alex nodded. "See you in a few."

Ten minutes later, Olivia came out and slapped Alex with her wet towel. "Hey!" Alex protested, laying her book facedown on her lap.

"What ya reading?" Olivia asked, sitting down beside her on the bench.

"_Anna Karenina_," Alex said with a smile, adjusting her glasses.

"You have to read it for Lit?"

"No. Just some casual reading. I like Tolstoy."

"My perfect little bookworm," Olivia said, kissing her on the cheek and playing with a few strands of hair that had become trapped by the side of her glasses.

Alex smiled and pushed her glasses on the top of her head. "Liv, you're distracting me. How am I supposed to read when you're sitting there all naked and wet?"

Olivia closed her book and pretended to pout. "I just want a wittle cuddle time," she cooed.

Alex chuckled. "Well, get dressed so we can go back to your place and cuddle."

"Naked?" Olivia asked with a lopsided grin.

Alex rolled her eyes. "No. Remember, Liv? Your mom is gonna be checking on us."

"She won't be with us every minute," Olivia said, running the tip of her finger down Alex's jawline. "She probably won't even be home yet when we get there."

"Liv, the last thing we want is your mom catching us making love."

"Well, that'll never happen," Olivia replied. "We're too careful."

Alex stood up and grabbed her purse. "Never say never," she replied with a tight smile.

Olivia stood up and began putting on fresh clothes. "Sweetie, we really have nothing to worry about. In the meantime, all that working out has worked up an appetite. What do ya say we order a pizza when we get back to my place?"

Alex grinned. "I say that sounds like a good idea," she replied, linking her arm through Olivia's.

Olivia grabbed her stuff and started walking out with Alex. "Although with the amount you can consume, we might be better off ordering two."

Alex playfully shoved her and then linked her arm back through Olivia's. "Very funny, Liv. Let's just get outta here."

"You know I was just teasing, baby," Olivia said, kissing her cheek softly.

Alex smiled at her. "I know."

"I love you," Olivia replied.

"I love you, too, babe. And I'm so glad Mom couldn't actually see us through the phone."

Olivia grinned. "I think she'd be in for a very big surprise."

Alex smirked. "I'd say."


	18. Promise

**Chapter 18: Promise**

After stuffing some clothes, toiletries, and other items into an overnight bag, Alex ran over and grabbed Tweety. "Ok, now I'm ready to go," she said, grinning widely.

Olivia shook her head. "No. Oh, no."

Alex's mouth dropped open in shock. "What, Liv?"

"You're not bringing him."

"And why not?" Alex asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"He's…he's distracting!" Olivia replied, gesturing at the large stuffed animal.

"How the hell is he distracting?" Alex demanded.

"Alex….I want private cuddle time. How am I gonna get that with him staring at us the whole time?" Olivia whined.

"Liv, come on. You promised that he could sleep with us as long as he wasn't between us."

Olivia furrowed her brow. "Was I sober?"

Alex shoved her shoulder. "Yes, you were."

Olivia sighed. "Fine, baby."

Alex smiled and threw her arms around Olivia's neck. "Thanks, sweetie. I love you."

Olivia smiled and shook her head. "I love you, too. But we really need to get you a puppy."

* * *

When they got to Olivia's house, Olivia dragged Alex to her bedroom, picked her up in her arms, and then dropped her down on the bed. "Hey!" Alex protested. "If that's the way you're planning to handle me on our wedding night, don't even bother!"

Olivia giggled and climbed in bed beside her. "I'm just excited, is all."

Alex smirked. "Why?"

Olivia cuddled up to her and began stroking her face. "Well…because I get to spend the night with the sexiest angel that ever walked this planet."

Alex laughed. "Liv, it's not like it's the first time. We spent the night together at my place just last night."

"I know. But I'd never felt like my own house was a home until you came along," Olivia replied, pouting slightly.

Alex felt her heart melting. "You really mean that, Liv?"

"Yes, sweetie. I never wanted to spend much time here at home before, but with you I actually enjoy it."

"Aww, Liv," Alex whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead and embracing her tightly. They held each other for several minutes in comfortable silence until Alex's stomach started growling.

Olivia pulled back and smirked. "Way to ruin the sentimental moment, Al."

Alex giggled. "Hey, I can't help it. You promised me a pizza!"

Olivia rolled her eyes playfully. "I know, I know. I must feed you." She reached for her cordless phone and dialed Pizza Hut. After ordering, she turned back to Alex and said, "It should be here in around 30 minutes. Think that little tummy of yours can hold out that long?"

Alex groaned. "I guess. But I'm gonna need something to hold me over." She got out of bed, walked over to her bag, and pulled out a package of Twizzlers. Returning to her position beside Olivia, she held out the package and offered, "Want some?"

Olivia grinned and pulled one of the Twizzlers out of the package. "Maybe just one."

After Alex had eaten three, Olivia took the bag from her and set it on her nightstand. Alex frowned and complained, "Liv!"

"No more or you'll spoil your appetite. Besides, you just ate not too long ago!"

"Let's just say I have a fast metabolism. What are we gonna do in the meantime?" Alex asked.

Olivia waggled her eyebrows and grinned. Alex shook her head and replied, "You're incorrigible." She picked up her copy of _Anna Karenina_ and began reading again.

About a half hour later, there was a soft knock on Olivia's door. "Yeah?" Olivia answered.

"It's me, Olivia," her mother replied. "Are you girls all right?"

"Yeah, Mom. We're great!" Olivia shouted from her bed.

"You could at least open up this door," her mother replied, annoyance in her voice.

Olivia groaned loudly and got out of bed. She opened her bedroom door and asked impatiently, "What, Mom?"

Serena looked in to find Alex still reading. Alex smiled and waved to her. Serena gave a slight smile and waved back. "Have you girls finished your homework?" she asked.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "We're taking a break. We ordered pizza so we were gonna finish after eating."

Serena nodded. "I see. Well, I will check in on you two a little later. Try to stay out of trouble," she said, turning to walk back down the hall.

Olivia closed the door and walked back over to her bed. "What the hell did she mean by that?" Alex asked.

Olivia shrugged. "I dunno. My mom can be weird sometimes."

"Maybe she's been hanging around my mom too long," Alex joked.

"Haha, maybe," Olivia replied.

Alex pinched her arm. "Hey, you're not supposed to agree with me!"

Olivia took Alex's glasses off her face and put them on. "Come on, Liv. Stop playing," Alex protested, reaching for her glasses.

Olivia pulled them off and hid them in her shirt. "Let's play fetch the glasses."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Liv, seriously."

"You have to reach into the cookie jar," Olivia said with a teasing grin.

"You just want me to touch your boobs," Alex said, smirking.

"Don't you want your glasses back?" Olivia asked.

Sighing, Alex reached into Olivia's shirt and pulled her glasses out of her bra. Putting them back on, she said, "No more playing for you tonight."

"Aw, why not?" Olivia asked, cuddling closer to Alex and running one hand over her stomach and another over her thighs.

Alex rolled her eyes again. "Come on, Liv."

"I promise I'm much more interesting than _Anna Karenina_," Olivia whispered in her ear. She dragged her lips down Alex's jaw and then her neck while continuing to caress her.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Alex fought Olivia's wandering hands off and said giggling, "Go get the pizza!"

Olivia stole a kiss from Alex, grabbed the money off the nightstand, and headed for the door.

Olivia came back and opened up the box of pizza on the bed. "Oh my god, I'm so hungry!" Alex exclaimed, grabbing her first slice of pizza and taking a huge bite.

Olivia watched her wolf down that slice and then reach for another. "You know, Alex, chewing actually helps the digestive system," she teased.

Alex shoved her shoulder. "Hey!" she said, stealing a piece of pepperoni off Olivia's slice and popping it into her mouth.

Olivia laughed. "You're welcome, sweetie."

"I know," Alex replied, smiling sweetly.

Olivia gave her a big kiss on the cheek and said, "I love you."

Alex wiped the pizza sauce off her face and said, "I love you, too. Even if you leave big globs of pizza sauce on my face."

Olivia chuckled. "It's just one of my many tokens of love for you."

Alex smiled and replied, "How endearing."

After several minutes, they had both eaten all they could. Alex teasingly threw a dirty napkin at Olivia and picked up her book again. Suddenly getting a wicked idea in her head, Olivia jumped out of bed and ran over to where Tweety was sitting on her floor.

Alex looked horrified. "Um, Liv. What are you doing?"

"Put 'em up!" Olivia teased, holding up her fists and pretending to swing at Tweety.

"Oh my god! Liv, stop! Stop right now!" Alex demanded, throwing her book down. She jumped out of bed and ran over to them.

"You know, who needs punching bags when they have Tweety right in front of 'em!" Olivia said, laughing.

"Liv, I swear if you hit Tweety I will never speak to you again!"

Olivia smirked. "Yeah, right." And with that, she landed a quick sucker punch right to Tweety's stomach.

Alex screamed. She pushed Olivia away from Tweety and cradled him in her arms. "Yeah, it's ok. Don't cry. Olivia's a big meanie. I'll protect you." She glared intensely at Olivia.

Olivia doubled over in laughter. Gasping for breath, she said, "You should've seen your face…oh my god. I don't know who was more shocked—you or Tweety." She laughed some more as Alex turned her around toward her door and began pushing her out the room.

"Alex, you can't kick me out of my own room!"

"Oh, really now? Watch me," Alex said, shoving her out the door. Olivia grabbed the doorknob just in time before Alex could lock it.

"Come on, Alex! Stop messing around!" she ordered, trying to force it open.

Alex continued to hold all her weight against the door. "Nuh uh!"

"Alex, don't make me have to tear this door down."

"Yeah, right, Liv. Your mom's here, remember?"

"Like that's gonna stop me," Olivia replied, forcing her weight into the door.

Alex just laughed. "Wouldn't you like to get in, Liv?" she teased. "You know, as soon as I lock this door, I'm gonna have lots of fun going through your secret drawer."

"Oh, hell no! No one is allowed there without my permission!" Grunting, Olivia gave one final shove and forced open the door. Giggling, Alex ran straight for her nightstand drawer and pulled it open.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" she asked, pulling out some scented black light body paints and dangling the box in Olivia's face.

Olivia reached for it but kept missing. "Come on, Al! Give it back unless you plan on using it!"

Alex giggled and made a dash past Olivia. "You'll have to catch me first!"

Olivia began chasing Alex around the room. Alex screamed loudly as she continued to dodge her. After a few more tries, Olivia successfully reclaimed her paints and shoved them in her drawer before chasing Alex again. Serena appeared in the doorway just as Olivia was tackling Alex to the floor. "Olivia Benson! Get off her right now!" her mother ordered.

"We were just playing, Mom," Olivia said, rolling her eyes and getting off Alex.

"Playing? Usually _screams _are a cry for help," Serena replied.

"Well, they weren't in this case, Mom," Olivia said with annoyance.

"Are you hurt, sweetie?" Serena asked, walking over to them and reaching down to offer Alex a hand.

"No, I'm fine," Alex assured her, letting Serena help her up.

"If you would like for me to take you home, dear, I'd be glad to," Serena continued.

Olivia's mouth dropped open. "Wait a minute, Mom! You can't just offer to take my company home!"

Her mother glared at her. "I can if you insist on manhandling them. I thought you were supposed to be doing your homework."

"We haven't forgotten about it. Besides, Alex and I play around like this all the time."

Serena pursed her lips and replied, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."

Olivia rolled her eyes again. "Will you just leave us alone?"

"Fine. But keep it down. You're giving me a headache with all this noise," Serena conceded, making her exit.

After she was sure Olivia's mother was out of earshot, Alex yelled, "Liv, I'm sleeping on the floor!" She grabbed Tweety and stretched out on the floor next to Olivia's bed.

Olivia lay down beside her and tried wrapping her arms around her. "Come on, Alex. Don't be stubborn."

Alex pushed her hands away. "You hurt Tweety. I'm not even supposed to be talking to you again."

Olivia looked at Tweety and said, "Tweety, I am very sorry that I punched you. Please forgive me and tell my girlfriend to stop being mad at me." She reached for Tweety but stopped when Alex gave her a look of death. "Oh come on, babe. I'm not gonna hurt him. I wanna kiss and make up," Olivia insisted.

"I still can't believe you did that," Alex said, shaking her head.

"Baby, I just don't want Tweety getting more of your attention than I do," Olivia said with a pout. "Besides, I was only playing." She kissed the stuffed animal on the beak and then placed him back on the floor.

Alex turned around in her arms to face her and said with an amused smile, "You're not actually jealous of a stuffed animal, are you?"

Olivia blushed furiously. "Well…"

Alex took Olivia's chin in her hand and lightly brushed her lips across hers. "Baby, you are my first priority and my first love. Tweety will never get more attention than you. I was just teasing you."

Olivia grinned. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Alex answered, giving her a warm hug. Olivia looked at Tweety over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out.

"And Liv, stop sticking your tongue out at Tweety," Alex ordered.

Olivia pulled out of Alex's embrace and grinned at her. "How'd you know?"

"I just know you too well," Alex replied, smiling and kissing her on the cheek.

"I didn't hurt you when I tackled you like that did I?" Olivia asked with a look of concern on her face, gently rubbing Alex's side.

Alex smiled. "No, I'm ok."

"Good, cuz I tried to wrap my arms around you to brace your fall."

"I noticed."

Olivia helped Alex off the floor and then scooped Tweety up. Alex gave her a warning look. Olivia laughed and said, "What? I'm not gonna hurt him." She climbed onto the bed and placed Tweety at the foot as Alex climbed in beside her. "See? He's safe and sound."

"He better be," Alex responded.

"Can we cuddle?" Olivia asked, wrapping her arms around Alex's waist.

Alex snorted. "Not like I have much of a choice."

Olivia tried to give Alex her most innocent look. Alex laughed. "I know you are not trying to look innocent."

"But I am innocent," Olivia insisted.

"Liv, you are definitely not innocent…especially after seeing the paints and other things that shall remain nameless."

"Hey, those are for a good cause—the Alex and Olivia horizontal tango club!" Olivia teased. "And the pokies thought I should get them for us."

Alex laughed. "Do you always consult with the pokies before doing stuff?"

"Sometimes," Olivia said with a grin.

"So when did you get the paints?" Alex asked.

Olivia shrugged. "Oh, a few weeks ago."

Alex ran a finger up and down Olivia's stomach and said, "You're sneaky. Why didn't you invite me?"

"Well…I didn't think you'd be interested," Olivia responded matter-of-factly.

"Well…the paints sound like fun. It's some of the other stuff that makes me nervous."

Olivia pulled Alex closer to her and whispered, "You know I'd always be gentle with you, right?"

Alex suddenly became shy. She looked down and lightly blushed. "Yeah," she said softly. She looked back up at Olivia. "But let's not think about that now. I feel weird with your mom popping in and out like clockwork."

Olivia laughed. "Yeah, I hope she doesn't come back."

However, her hope was in vain. In a few minutes of cuddling with each other, there was another knock at Olivia's door.

Olivia groaned loudly. "Be right back, sweetie." She walked over to open up her door and asked, "What now?"

"Olivia, may I see you for a moment?" Serena asked pointedly.

Olivia looked at Alex apologetically and then answered, "Fine, Mom."

Serena and Olivia walked to the kitchen. "Olivia…you and Alex seem very close."

Olivia stared at her mother blankly. "Yeah, so?"

"Well…it's just that you two seem very different from each other but you get along so well. I've never seen you get along with another girl in the way you do Alex."

Olivia sighed. "We have more in common than it seems like. Our differences complement each other very well. Alex is different from other girls."

"I'm just concerned. Other people may misinterpret your…closeness. They may think that you are…um…" Serena looked off to the side to try to formulate her thoughts in a less conflicting manner.

"Mom, there's nothing unnatural or perverted between us, if that's what you're getting at," Olivia said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to my company." And with that, she walked out.

"What did she wanna talk to you about?" Alex asked when Olivia returned to her position beside her.

"She basically wanted to know if we were lesbians."

Alex gasped. She felt her heart rate increase dramatically. "Are you serious? She asked you that?"

"Well…I didn't give her a chance to. She said we seem very close and I told her that I just have a lot more in common with you than other girls. She didn't get how we get along so well because we're different and I told her that those differences complement each other. Then she said she was concerned that other people might 'misinterpret' our behavior. I interrupted her before she could actually ask if we were lesbians and told her there was nothing unnatural or perverse about our relationship. And that's true."

"Yeah. There's nothing wrong with our love," Alex agreed. "Do you think she'd be angry if she knew the truth?"

Olivia sighed. "I dunno, babe. She might. But let's not focus on the 'what ifs.' Nothing can keep us apart unless we let it."

Alex smiled, pleased at Olivia's confidence. "You're right. But God, I don't wanna ever lose you because someone else just doesn't get it."

"You'll never lose me," Olivia promised, pulling Alex close and softly capturing her lips.

"You promise?" Alex asked with a pout.

Olivia smiled and took Alex's hands into her own. "I do. And I'll prove it to you."

"How?" Alex asked, a curious smile creeping across her face.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Olivia replied, pulling Alex close again for another kiss.


	19. Divine

**Chapter 19: Divine**

"Alex, I'm not wearing those…those…things!" Olivia insisted, holding her palms up defensively and backing away.

"Come on, Liv! They're just nipple guards. Nothing to be afraid of!" Alex exclaimed.

Olivia shook her head fervently. "No way, Al. No way in hell."

"Liv, your boobs are gonna call attention to themselves if you don't wear these! You know the back of our dresses is too low to wear a strapless bra!"

Olivia frowned. "Alex, why are you doing this to them?"

Alex laughed. "Liv, it's nothing personal. I'm gonna wear them, too!"

"They look stupid! Why can't we just wear bra cups or something?"

"Well, it doesn't matter how stupid they look because no one is gonna see them. And we can't wear what we don't have."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "They aren't necessary."

"Liv, seriously…"

"You're suppressing their individuality!" Olivia shouted passionately.

Alex laughed again. "Liv…they're only nipples."

Olivia looked horrified. "You did not just say that."

Alex held Olivia's face in her hands. "Sweetie, just for tonight. Do it for me. Please?"

Olivia felt herself softening. "What do I get in return?"

Alex smiled and whispered seductively in her ear. She giggled when Olivia blushed crimson all over. "Now will you please just wear them?"

Olivia sighed. "Ok, ok."

"Good," Alex replied.

"Kiss them. They need to know you love them," Olivia ordered.

Laughing, Alex leaned down and placed a quick kiss on each nipple. "Pokies, I love both of you very much and I'm not doing this to hurt you." She stood back up and asked, "Now do they understand?"

Olivia grinned. "I guess. Now kiss me."

Alex placed her hand on the back of Olivia's neck and kissed her hard. When she pulled back, she asked, "Satisfied?"

Olivia gulped hard. "Very," she finally answered.

Alex took the silicone covers and placed them over Olivia's nipples. Olivia whimpered. Alex looked up and smirked. "There. See, Liv? It's not a big deal."

Olivia pouted. "They feel smothered."

Alex chuckled and replied, "Well, think of it as smothered with my love."

Olivia smiled. "I'll keep that in mind, babe."

"Come on. We need to get dressed and do each other's hair," Alex said as she placed the other set of silicone covers over her own nipples. "And please don't burn me with the curling iron."

Olivia smirked. "I promise I will be extra careful."

Alex picked up a pair of red matching thongs and handed one to Olivia. "Look, Liv. I got us matching thongs, too."

Olivia admiringly ran her fingers over the smooth silk. "Nice," she said. "Can I put yours on for you?"

Alex blushed. "Liv…I can dress myself you know!"

Olivia chuckled and moved closer. "I know. But you know…since I let you put the nipple guards on and everything…"

Alex sighed. She couldn't help but smile at the mischievous grin that had crossed Olivia's face. "All right, Liv. But no fooling around. We only have a limited amount of time to get ready."

Alex raised each leg accordingly as Olivia slipped her underwear on and slowly brought it up her body. She adjusted the thong over Alex's hips and stepped back to admire how she looked. Smiling, she said, "You look very sexy, sweetie."

Alex grinned. "Thank you, sweetie. Now come on. Put yours on so we can get in our dresses."

After they were dressed, Alex picked up the ½" curling iron and told Olivia to sit down. She then proceeded to add ringlets to Olivia's hair. Olivia closed her eyes as Alex sprayed hairspray all over her head to hold the curls in place. "Ok, you can open your eyes now," she informed her.

Olivia looked in the mirror and smiled. "Wow, sweetie. I've never had ringlets this pretty before."

Alex grinned and tugged on one. "I aim to please."

Olivia picked up the 1" curling iron and plugged it in. "Ok, sit down, sweetie." Alex sat down in the chair and Olivia ran her fingers through her long hair. "I've always loved playing in your hair. It's so soft and it smells divine."

Alex blushed lightly. She loved it when Olivia played with her hair. "That feels good, baby."

"Those were my intentions," Olivia whispered. Separating Alex's hair, she clipped the front so she could work on the back first. When she was completely finished, she had added several large, bouncy curls to Alex's golden locks.

Alex looked in the mirror and admired her hair. "Wow, sweetie. You really did a great job! My hair looks perfect."

"Thanks, babe," Olivia replied. "I guess now it's time for our makeup."

"You guessed right," Alex responded. She looked through her foundations and held them up to Olivia's face so she could find one that matched. She picked up a sponge wedge, poured a little on it, and then began dabbing it on Olivia's skin. "Blends perfectly," she said softly.

Olivia watched Alex's swift, articulated movements and smiled. "I'll say. It doesn't look like I have anything on."

"That's exactly how it's supposed to look."

"You really have a knack for this," Olivia replied, starting to dig through the numerous eye shadows Alex owned. She held up a bright red frost and said, "Which one do you think will look best with our dress? Something like this?"

Alex shook her head as she finished applying her own foundation. "Nah, that's too bold. We need something much more subtle. Perhaps something with silver tones." She began digging herself and finally settled on "Electra," which was an icy metallic silver frost. "See, this one will give our lids a shimmer and really make them pop, but it is also very subtle," she explained as she began applying it to Olivia's eyelids. "It's sorta there, but not there at the same time if you get my drift."

Olivia nodded. "It looks beautiful, baby."

"Thanks," Alex said, grinning. She applied it to her own eyelids and then started searching for the appropriate lipglass. "Now for our lips."

"How about that one?" Olivia asked, pointing at a passion red M.A.C. lipglass with coral undertones.

"Yeah, 'Chance Encounter' will look great. It's just lipglass so it's gonna give a tint instead of being really bold like some of my lacquers or lipsticks. You're really getting the hang of this, Liv," Alex said, slapping her on the back.

Olivia grinned. "What can I say? I learn from the best."

After expertly applying the lipglass to Olivia's lips, Alex finished her own makeup and then wrapped her arm around Olivia's shoulders. They both gazed at their reflections in the mirror and smiled. "We're gonna be the hottest chicks there, tonight," Alex stated proudly.

"I agree," Olivia said, placing her arm around Alex's waist. "And I have the sexiest date, ever."

"Ooh, we forgot mascara!" Alex said, digging through her makeup again and pulling out some clear mascara.

"Sweetie, we don't need it. We look perfect the way we are now."

"You really think so?" Alex asked.

"I know so," Olivia said, taking the mascara out of Alex's hands and wrapping an arm supportively around her waist again.

"You're so gorgeous," Alex breathed, turning to Olivia.

"And you're breathtaking," Olivia answered.

"No, you are," Alex replied, starting a fun banter.

"No, you are," Olivia echoed her.

"But you're more gorgeous," Alex argued, placing a hand lightly on Olivia's stomach.

"You're the most gorgeous of the gorgeous," Olivia insisted, leaning in to kiss her lips and placing a hand on the back of her warm neck.

"Girls!" Alex's mother yelled through her bedroom door. "Hurry up! The limousine will be here in 15 minutes!"

Alex groaned and reluctantly pulled back from Olivia. "Come on. Let's get our purses and head downstairs."

When they got downstairs, Alex gave her camera as well as Olivia's to her father and said, "Daddy, take a picture of us!"

Mr. Cabot smiled and said, "Of course, sweetie." Alex and Olivia wrapped their arms around each other as several photos were snapped of them. He handed their cameras back and asked, "Ready to go, girls?"

They looked at each other and smiled. "As ready as we'll ever be," Alex answered.

* * *

"When are they ever going to bring the main entrées out?" Alex asked Olivia impatiently, pushing the remnants of her Caesar salad around with her fork.

"Alexandra, you are not a child!" her mother scolded. "Stop playing around with your food!"

Alex rolled her eyes and put her salad fork down. She reached for another honey butter roll, split it in half, and offered it to Olivia.

"Why, how kind of you, Alexandra," Olivia whispered, taking a bite of her half. Alex discreetly nudged her in the side with her elbow. Olivia grinned and slipped her hand over Alex's knee under the table.

Ten minutes later, the servers began rolling out the entrées. "'Bout damn time," Alex whispered to Olivia.

"Hungry, sweetie?" Olivia teased.

"You have no idea," Alex muttered.

Olivia grinned. "Oh, I think I might."

Alex practically drooled when her food was finally placed in front of her. The entrée consisted of baked salmon in a vodka cream sauce, crab-stuffed lobster tail, a baked potato, basmati rice pilaf, and steamed vegetables. She broke off a piece of her salmon with her fork and took a bite. "This is absolutely orgasmic."

Olivia smirked while Mrs. Cabot shot Alex a glance. "Alexandra, please do not refer to your food in that manner."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Chill out, Mom," she replied, scooping some rice onto her fork.

"This lobster is fantastic," Olivia commented.

"I agree. Lobster and crab—the best of both worlds," Alex replied.

Several minutes later, they had finished eating. "I'm so full," Olivia groaned.

"Me, too. But I can't wait for dessert!" Alex exclaimed.

Grinning, Olivia leaned over and whispered in her ear, "How about some Olivia à la mode drizzled in chocolate sauce?"

Alex brushed crimson. "Liv!"

Mrs. Cabot looked over at them and glared. She hadn't heard what Olivia said, but judging by Alex's reaction, she knew it wasn't anything appropriate.

The servers removed their dinner plates and in a few minutes, dessert was brought out. It was chocolate marble cheesecake drizzled with strawberry sauce. Alex dug right in and whispered in Olivia's ear, "This is even more orgasmic than our dinner."

Olivia giggled. "You're silly."

"But you love me," Alex whispered back.

"Yes, I do," Olivia confirmed, indulging in her dessert.

When the speeches and subsequent award announcements began, Alex had to fight not to put her head down. Olivia felt the same way. "Alex, why is this so boring?" she asked, pouting slightly.

Alex laughed. "I dunno. But I'll tell you one thing. I've been going to these things ever since I was a little girl and they don't get any more interesting as the years come along."

"Oh, joy," Olivia said sarcastically. She lovingly stroked Alex's knee under the table. "But none of that will matter as long as I'm with you."

Alex's face beamed in delight. "Oh, Liv."

Alex and Olivia both clapped loudly when the Cabots were called for an award. "They're so cute," Alex commented as she watched her father place his hand at the small of her mother's back and lead her to the stage to accept their charity award, which was a gold figurine holding up a large globe with the continents etched into a shape of a heart. The figurine was atop an engraved, piano-finished cherry base.

"You think we'll be like that someday?" Olivia asked.

Alex smiled. "Of course we will. You'll be receiving some great cop accolade and I'll be cheering you on with our kids."

Olivia smiled. She squeezed Alex's hand under the table and said simply, "Oh, Alex. We're going to have the most beautiful life."

"I know," Alex responded, squeezing Olivia's hand back.

After all the awards were announced, the orchestra launched into a Shostakovich symphony and couples started getting up to dance. "Would you like to dance?" Alex asked Olivia.

Olivia grinned. "Of course I would," she replied, getting up from her seat and walking out on the ballroom floor with Alex.

Mrs. Cabot frowned as she watched Alex and Olivia dance together. "With all these nice young gentlemen here to dance with, they just had to choose each other."

"Oh come on, darling. They're just girls having a good time with each other," her husband replied.

"Hmmpfh," his wife mumbled, taking a sip of her champagne.

"I love you so much," Olivia whispered to Alex.

"I love you, too," Alex whispered back, fighting very hard the urge to just lay her head on Olivia's shoulder and not care what anyone else would think about it.

A few minutes later, Eric Carlson came over to them and asked, "Hello, Alex. May I cut in?"

Olivia and Alex both turned their heads to look at him and said in unison, "No."

Eric laughed. "Come on, girls. Share the love."

"We are," Olivia answered. "With each other."

Eric rolled his eyes. "Ok, ok. I get the point. See ya later, girls."

"Bye," Alex told him. She turned back to Olivia. "I hope no one else interrupts us."

"Mmm…me, too," Olivia agreed.

"So how are the pokies feeling?"

Olivia smiled. "Quite all right, I must say."

"You have no idea how hard I'm trying not to kiss you," Alex whispered.

"Oh, trust me, baby. I do," Olivia responded.

When the music stopped, they returned to their seats. "Did you enjoy yourselves, girls?" Mr. Cabot asked.

"Yes, Daddy," Alex responded.

"Yes. Thank you for allowing me to share this evening with you," Olivia answered, offering him a polite smile.

"You're quite welcome, dear. I am glad that our daughter has found such a great confidante in you," he responded, smiling back.

"And I'm glad to have found that in her as well," Olivia responded, gazing lovingly into Alex's eyes. She was grateful for the opportunity to experience something this extravagant with Alex and never wanted the night to end.

* * *

Once they were back in Alex's bedroom, Olivia snuggled up to her and pulled the covers up more. "Tonight was divine. Thank you for inviting me."

"I couldn't have imagined it with anyone else," Alex responded, bringing a finger down Olivia's lips.

"You know what else made it really special?"

"What?" Alex asked.

"It was our first dance we actually attended as each other's date," Olivia said.

Alex grinned. "I know. I can't believe we got away with dancing with each other the whole time, too."

Olivia rubbed her hand up and down the sleeve of Alex's Tweety flannel pajamas. "These are so soft," she commented.

"I agree. They're really warm and fuzzy," Alex said.

"Just like you," Olivia whispered, rubbing her nose against Alex's.

"So what do you wanna do for Valentine's Day?" Alex inquired.

"Spend it with you," Olivia responded.

"Well, that's a given, silly," Alex said, grinning. "I hate it's on a school day."

"Me, too," Olivia agreed. "But we have all night to spend together. And I have quite a surprise for you."

Alex's smile widened. "Really? Can I get a hint?"

Olivia shook her head. "Nuh uh. I want it to be a total surprise."

"Aww, you're no fun," Alex whined, tickling her stomach.

Olivia laughed and removed Alex's hand out from under her shirt. "I will not be bribed or tickled into telling you."

"Damn," Alex said.

"You think we could go up to the cabin after practice on Tuesday?"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Why? Do you have something special planned?"

Olivia grinned. "You could say that. We need to go somewhere private so our parents aren't buzzing around. We'll probably have to miss school the next day, though. It'll be a long drive back."

"Well, I don't usually skip school for fun but in your case, I guess I can make an exception."

"That's good to hear," Olivia replied. "Our first Valentine's Day together." She sighed. "I've never looked forward to this day before you."

Alex leaned in and tenderly kissed her. "Well, this one is just gonna be the first one of many," she promised.

"We have a lot to look forward to," Olivia said, running a hand through Alex's hair.

"I can't wait," Alex whispered.

"Neither can I," Olivia responded, closing her eyes and rubbing Alex's back gently. "Neither can I."


	20. Nichya

**Chapter 20: Nichya**

Alex grabbed her coat and quickly ran out to Olivia's car. She threw her stuff in the back and then opened the front passenger side door. She was just about to sit down when she noticed the bouquet of a dozen red roses in her seat. She picked them up excitedly, inhaled their sweet scent, and then threw her arms around Olivia's neck. "Aww, thank you, sweetie!"

Olivia grinned. "You're very welcome. I hope you like them."

"Are you kidding? I absolutely _love_ them!" Alex assured her. "But I have some for you, too," she continued, reaching around to the back and presenting her own bouquet of red roses to Olivia. She planted a kiss on her cheek and said, "Happy Valentine's Day, beautiful."

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, babe," Olivia responded. She lifted a rose out of the bouquet and brushed it across her lips. Alex took one of her own roses out and started brushing it against Olivia's.

"What are you doing, sweetie?" Olivia asked in amusement.

"Our roses are kissing," Alex said with a giggle.

"They're not the only ones," Olivia said, putting the roses down and leaning in to tenderly capture Alex's lips. Alex closed her eyes and happily let Olivia's soft tongue traverse her mouth.

After they had pulled back from one another, Alex said simply, "Wow. If you keep kissing me like that we'll never make it to school!"

"Is that such a bad thing?" Olivia joked.

"Yes," Alex said, poking her lightly in the chest with the stem of the rose. "We're already missing tomorrow. Things would look really suspicious if we missed both days."

Olivia sighed. "You're right. But you know, any punishment we get would be totally worth it."

Alex cocked her head to the side and said dryly, "Don't be so sure of that." Shaking her head and laughing, Olivia put her car in drive again and drove off down Alex's driveway.

When they arrived at school, Olivia pulled open her locker and was shocked to find a large card and box of Godiva chocolates. She grinned when she saw a picture of them from the charity gala on the front of the card. She untied the large red ribbon and opened the card to read the message inside. Alex beamed as she watched Olivia's eyes light up and fill with tears.

"How'd you manage to pull this off?" Olivia asked curiously.

"I did it yesterday afternoon right after practice ended."

"This is so beautiful. Thank you so much," Olivia said, hugging her and giving her a big kiss on the lips. She pulled back and frowned. "Alex, I wish you'd give me a heads up when you plan to wear your 10 inch heels. It's harder to kiss you," Olivia complained, looking down at Alex's boots.

Alex laughed, unzipped her boots, and stepped out of them. "They're only 3-inch, Liv."

"It makes me feel so short next to you," Olivia said, pouting.

"Well, now there isn't that much of a difference," Alex mumbled, wrapping her arms back around Olivia's neck and kissing her again.

The first bell rang to shake them out of their reverie. Olivia groaned loudly. "Perfect timing," she muttered.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it. Hey, I'll text you during Euro, ok?"

"You promise?" Olivia whined, pouting again.

"I promise," Alex said, quickly kissing her again before putting her boots back on. Smiling, Olivia took her hand in her own and walked her to class.

* * *

At lunch, Olivia carved Alex's steak into a heart shape. "Aww, that's so cute!" Kathy gushed.

"Wow, someone's not smitten. Not smitten at all," Casey teased.

Olivia looked at her and retorted, "I know you're not talking about anyone being smitten. I heard Serena couldn't even fit that hugeass teddy bear in her locker."

Casey blushed as everyone at the table laughed. "Oh come on, guys. It wasn't _that_ big," she protested.

"Right, right," Serena said sarcastically. She leaned over to Casey and planted a huge kiss on her cheek. "But I love my Mr. Snuggle Wuggles."

Olivia almost spit out her fruit punch. "Mr. Snuggle Wuggles?" She doubled over in laughter, along with everyone else at the table except Casey.

"Very funny, you guys. But I didn't name him that. Serena did," Casey responded in her defense.

Serena playfully shoved Casey's shoulder. "Oh, that's right. Blame it all on me."

"So what do you guys have planned for the evening?" Casey asked the rest of them, desperate to change the subject.

"Well, I'm taking Kathy out to dinner," Elliot answered.

Olivia gave him a thumbs up. "Nice, El." She turned to Casey. "Well, I have something very special planned for my little gymnast here, but I can't tell you guys because it'll spoil the surprise."

Alex grinned from ear to ear. "You're so romantic, Liv," she said, rubbing her nose against her cheek.

"Yeah, she's a regular Cupid," Elliot teased.

Olivia retaliated by throwing a fry at him. However, Elliot ducked and it landed on the floor. "Hey, no food fights allowed, Liv," he said jokingly.

Olivia ignored him. "So what are you guys doing?" she asked Casey and Serena.

"Well, I'm making dinner for Casey," Serena answered. "Then we're gonna watch a couple movies."

Alex looked at Serena and said, "God help her."

"Hey!" Serena protested. "I'm a very good cook, I'll have you know."

Alex laughed. "What movies are you gonna watch?"

"_Imagine Me and You_ and _Show Me Love_," Serena answered.

"Ooh, I really wanna see _Show Me Love_. Can Liv and I borrow it sometime?" Alex asked.

"Sure," Serena said, shrugging.

"What are those movies about?" Kathy asked curiously.

"Well, in _Imagine Me and You_, a woman gets married to a guy and then falls in love with a woman she meets at her wedding, and in _Show Me Love_, these two teenage girls in Sweden fall in love with each other. That movie is also called _Fucking Amal_," Serena answered.

"Fucking Amal?" Elliot asked. "Who is Amal and why is he being fucked?"

Everyone at the table laughed. "Amal is the name of the little Swedish town they live in," Serena explained.

"Ah, I see," Elliot responded.

"Yeah, we're gonna cuddle in front of the tv and then who knows where the night will take us," Serena said, smiling at Casey. Casey smiled back and gently kissed her lips.

"I bet I know where it'll lead…" Olivia commented.

Alex coughed loudly and then whispered in a voice that was loud enough for everyone at the table to hear, "Sex!"

Casey and Serena both blushed deeply. "Wait a minute, why would you automatically assume that means sex?" Serena asked.

"Hey, I can always tell when a happy couple's finally done the deed," Olivia said. "There's a certain glow."

"And Serena and Casey have been glowing a lot lately," Alex said, laughing and nudging Olivia in the side with her elbow.

Elliot and Kathy's mouths dropped open and Casey put her head down on the table in embarrassment. "Yeah, you definitely had it written all over your face the first time you and Liv did it," Serena told Alex, rubbing Casey's back.

"Yeah, she was a regular little glowworm," Olivia replied. Alex gasped and stole a fry off Olivia's tray.

"What a great way to punish your woman, Alex," Kathy teased her. "Steal her food."

Alex grinned. "I think so."

"Oh come on, Liv. There is not a glow," Elliot protested.

"Oh yes there is," Olivia argued. "And there are other little signs, too."

"Stop it, you guys. You're embarrassing Casey," Serena ordered.

Olivia scoffed. "You're one to talk, Serena. Who was it who relentlessly teased me after she found out Alex and I did it? Remember your little 'Wet and Wild' moniker?"

Casey lifted her head and started laughing. "'Wet and Wild'? Damn, Liv."

"Ok, ok. I just thought it would be funny to use until you threatened to break my legs," Serena retorted. Everyone at the table laughed.

Alex leaned her head on Olivia's shoulder and looked up at her cooing, "Livvie…I want a chocolate chip cookie."

Casey raised her arm and looked at her watch. "Ok, guys. Let's see how many seconds it takes Liv to get Alex a cookie and then come back. Quick, Liv! Time starts now!"

Olivia rolled her eyes as she gently lifted Alex's head off her shoulder and stood up. "Very funny, Casey." She looked down at Alex and kissed her on the top of her head. "I'll be back, sweetie."

When Olivia returned, she had two warm chocolate chip cookies. "I love you," Alex said, grinning and taking a big bite of her cookie.

"I'm sure you do, babe," Olivia said, patting her on the cheek and eating her own cookie.

In a few minutes, the bell rang for 5th period, which elicited groans from everyone at the table. They all got up to return their trays.

"Shit! I forgot to do Petrovsky's homework!" Casey exclaimed as they were walking out into the hall.

"Oh, we just had to look up some new form of legislature. I printed out an extra one," Alex said, reaching into her bag and handing it to Casey.

"Oh, thank God, Alex! You're a lifesaver!" Casey said gratefully. "I'll skim it and just bullshit some stuff when it's my turn to discuss." She looked at Serena. "I would've had one but Serena was an um…distraction."

Serena smirked. "Hey, I remembered my article just fine."

Olivia broke into their little circle and joked, "Ah, how nice. My three favorite lawyers in the making."

"Although I don't know how great of a lawyer Casey would be if she forgets to bring her case files to court!" Alex joked.

"Haha," Casey stated dryly.

"My baby is gonna be a great lawyer," Serena said, tilting her face up to Casey for a kiss.

Olivia wrapped her arms around Alex's waist and rested her chin on her shoulder. "I don't wanna leave you," she whined.

Alex reached around behind her and placed her hands on Olivia's lower back. "I don't wanna leave you either."

Serena rolled her eyes. "One day you two are gonna get tangled up together."

Olivia giggled. "Good, then no one can make us separate." She untangled herself from Alex's hold and said, "Ok, girls. I'll do you all the honors of walking you to the evil dungeon which is Petrovsky's class."

Serena, Casey, and Alex all laughed. "Why, how chivalrous of you, Liv," Serena teased. "I'm surprised Alex is willing to lend you out."

Alex smirked and draped her arm across Olivia's shoulders as they started walking. "All for a good cause, kids. All for a good cause."

* * *

After 5th period ended, Elliot tracked Olivia down at her locker. "So let me guess. You're gonna be getting lucky tonight?" he asked as he watched Olivia pull a couple books out her locker.

Olivia stood up and grinned proudly. "Well…it's not like I thought about it too much or anything, ya know."

Elliot laughed. "Righttttttttttttt. I bet you have a whole plan in your head about how you're gonna serenade Alex."

Olivia blushed. "Ha! No more than you have one about Kathy!"

"Do you have the rings on you?" Elliot asked, looking around to make sure Alex was nowhere in sight.

Olivia's whole face lit up. She nodded her head excitedly and said, "Yeah. I wanna make sure I know where these are at all times. I'd just die if anything happened to them."

"Yeah, so would your piggy bank," Elliot commented. That warranted him a playful shove from Olivia.

"You don't think they'll freak her out or anything, do you?" Olivia asked, worry suddenly hinting in her voice.

"Nah," Elliot responded, placing a hand reassuringly on her back. "I'm sure she'll be stoked."

Olivia looked at her watch. "Well, I have about 30 secs to get to Drawing, so I'll see you later, ok?"

"Ok, Liv. Good luck. Let me know how everything turns out!" Elliot called out over his shoulder as he began walking in the opposite direction down the hall.

Holding her books to her chest, Olivia smiled excitedly and headed to Drawing. She was nervous about what the night entailed, but she was confident that Alex would not be disappointed.

* * *

"Come on, babe. Let's get home," Alex said, grabbing Olivia by the hands excitedly and pulling her toward the car.

Olivia grinned. "Excited much?"

"Very," Alex answered, continuing to walk backwards across the parking lot.

"Alex, you do know that if you trip and fall I'm gonna land right on top of you, right?"

Alex grinned. "So? It won't be the first time."

"Baby, usually when that happens we're headed for the bed anyway. This is pavement."

Alex giggled and turned around. "Ok, fine. We're like five feet away from your car anyway."

After they were settled in the car, Olivia put her hand on Alex's knee and said, "I can't believe we get to go away again."

"I know, right? God, we're gonna have so much fun."

Olivia sighed happily. "Away from our parents, our friends…away from everyone."

"Yeah, it's our own little home away from home," Alex said, squeezing her hand.

They drove for several minutes in peaceful silence. "We need to get groceries before we head to the cabin," Olivia told her as they were waiting in traffic.

"Ok. There's a Publix not too far from the cabin. We'll get them there."

"Sounds good to me," Olivia responded. "Do you have all your stuff packed?"

"Yeah. Got it all done last night. How about you?"

Olivia nodded. "Wow. I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. As for me, I got up early this morning just so I could pack."

"Wow, you getting up early? Whatever you have planned must be _really_ special."

_You have no idea_, Olivia thought, grinning. "You could say that, babe."

Once at Alex's house, they went up to her bedroom to get her things. Smirking, Olivia picked up Alex's bags off the bed. "What? No Tweety this time?"

"Nah. I'm sure some of the activities we'll be doing will be too x-rated for his innocent little eyes."

Olivia chuckled. "Fine by me."

"No Tweety or the x-rated stuff?"

"Both," she said teasingly.

Alex threw a small teddy bear at her. "Come on, let's get outta here."

"You told your parents we'd be spending the night at Serena's, right?" Olivia asked.

"Yep. Everything has already been taken care of. Serena and Casey know the drill."

"Good," Olivia conceded. "The last thing we need is our parents blowing our cover."

"Don't even say it," Alex told her. "You'll jinx us."

They stopped by Olivia's house to get her things and then they were well on their way to Alex's family cabin. "Liv…" Alex began after they'd been driving for awhile.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I'm hungry."

Olivia laughed and shook her head. "We should be there in about 20 minutes. It's good I remember how to get there, otherwise we'd be lost 50 times again."

Alex rolled her eyes. "I remember fine now. And we just made a couple wrong turns."

Olivia scoffed. "A couple? You're a little young to be getting Alzheimer's, aren't you, Al?"

Alex sighed. "We only got lost three times. And the fact remains that I'm still hungry."

"Look in the back. There are some Doritos on the floor."

Alex's mouth dropped open in mock disgust. "On the floor?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. They're obviously still in the bag."

Alex turned around to grab the bag of Doritos off the floor. Feeling mischievous, Olivia reached over and lightly tickled Alex's stomach.

"Hey!" Alex protested, giggling and pushing Olivia's hand away. "You better not do that while I'm eating."

Olivia laughed. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to feel the wrath of hungry Alex." Alex threw a chip at her, which landed in her lap. "Hey, don't distract the driver," Olivia joked.

"Oh, we wouldn't want that," Alex quipped, changing the radio station.

In several minutes, they were in the parking lot of Publix. Olivia got out of the car and said, "Ok, Al. We're gonna go in, get what we need, and then come right out. This is not going to be an hour long affair."

Alex laughed as she shut her door and wrapped her purple knit scarf around her neck. "I do not take that long in the grocery store."

Olivia gave her a look. "Alex, you take that long in _every_ store."

Alex shoved her shoulder. "Let's get inside. And you're pushing the cart."

"Why, thank you for letting me do the honors. That means I control what goes in it!"

Alex stuck her tongue out at her. "So? I can carry stuff in my arms. You can't control what goes in them."

"Yes, I can," Olivia said, cuddling up to Alex. Alex automatically wrapped her arms around Olivia and held her tight. "See? I do have some control over what goes in your arms."

Alex giggled. "Not like I would ever object to holding you. But come on. Let's get outta the street before people start honking."

Twenty minutes later, they were returning to the car with their groceries. "Alex, it does not take 5 minutes to decide between the dinosaurs fruit snacks and the sharks."

"Hey, it was a big decision!"

Olivia sighed and began putting the bags in the back. "Sweetie, you ended up getting both anyway."

Alex chuckled. "Ok. I'll share them with you as a peace offering."

Olivia grinned. "Bribing me with fruit snacks now, huh?"

"You got it," Alex said, opening the passenger side door and getting in. "Is it working?"

Olivia put her seatbelt on and said, "Perhaps. Now are we done for the night?"

Alex leaned over. In a low voice, she said, "Well…I actually had quite a few things planned…"

Olivia laughed. "I mean do we have everything we need for the night? Once we're at the cabin I don't plan on going back outside until we're ready to leave."

Lifting her eyes skyward, Alex paused to ponder for a moment. "Yeah, I think we have everything."

"Good," Olivia answered, putting the car in gear.

Several minutes later, they finally arrived at the cabin. Alex brought their luggage into the living room while Olivia brought the bags of groceries into the kitchen. Olivia placed the groceries on the counter and began pulling items out. Smiling at her, Alex silently began helping.

"Alex, you aren't to do anything while I'm cooking. Do you understand? I want to take care of you tonight. And the bedroom is off limits until I give you the ok."

"But Liv…what if I get bored? I just wanna keep you company," Alex said, moving behind her and massaging her shoulders.

Olivia sighed happily and tried not to get lost in Alex's soft but firm touches. "All right. You can watch me in the kitchen."

Alex grinned and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. "Mmm…I get to see your culinary prowess in action."

Olivia grinned. "Which will work even better if you continue to massage me. Relaxation really gets the culinary juices flowing," she joked.

"Are you sure those are the only juices?" Alex whispered sensually in her ear.

Closing her eyes, Olivia swallowed hard and bit her lip. "Alex…you're gonna distract me," she whined.

Alex chuckled and sat down on a stool beside Olivia. "Well, I plan on being treated to a scrumptious meal, so I won't distract you too much. Besides, there's plenty of time for that later," she added, grinning mischievously.

Olivia tangled a hand in Alex's hair and roughly pulled her in for a searing kiss. When they broke apart, both their hearts were racing. "Wow…what was that for?" Alex asked, gasping for air.

Olivia grinned. "That was to hold me over." She picked up the knife and started chopping vegetables as if nothing had ever happened.

Alex smirked. "I'll bet."

After many minutes of just watching Olivia, Alex began to get restless. "Livvie…" Alex whined, playing with a tendril of Olivia's hair. "Can I please just help out a little? Pretty pretty please? With whipped cream and a cherry on top?"

Olivia couldn't help but smile at Alex's eagerness to help. "You can add some oregano to the stuffing," she instructed. "Just a pinch, though."

"What chicken dish are you making?" Alex asked.

"Stuffed chicken parmesan breasts."

"Mmm…that sounds absolutely delicious, sweetie." She reached over and popped a few finely chopped tomatoes in her mouth.

"Hey, sweetie. Don't eat all the tomatoes. I need those for the stuffing."

"Ok," Alex conceded. She popped a few pieces of apple and mango into her mouth as well.

Olivia grinned. "I need those for the stuffing, too."

"But Liv, you already have some Stove Top for the stuffing," Alex whined.

"I wanna add a little extra to it."

"You're so hot when you're cooking," Alex whispered in her ear. She began massaging her shoulders again and as soon as Olivia closed her eyes, she slowly eased a hand up to the cutting board to steal another piece of mango. She almost had her prize in her possession when she felt Olivia slap her hand away.

"Don't even think about it," Olivia teased, her eyes still closed.

Alex pouted at her. "No fair, Liv. How'd you even know what I was gonna do?"

Olivia grinned at her and went back to chopping the rest of the mangoes. "Because I know you too well." She poked her in the stomach and added, "And that little tummy, too."

Alex laughed. "Have I really become that predictable?"

"In a word, yes," Olivia teased.

"Well, I guess I'll have to change things up a little," Alex responded.

Laughing, Olivia mixed in the diced tomatoes, celery, apples, and mangoes with the stuffing and then carefully packed the mixture into the cut chicken breasts. She sprinkled the grated parmesan and bread crumb mixture on top of the chicken breasts and then placed the glass baking dish in the oven.

"The food smells so good, Liv. I'm trying hard not to drool."

Olivia chuckled. "I bet you are, sweetie. Well, while everything is cooking, what do you say we go in the den and cuddle?"

"I say that sounds very tempting," Alex said, holding her arm out to Olivia.

They went into the den and cuddled up together on the leather sofa. Olivia pulled Alex into her lap and pressed her lips against her neck. Alex smiled and kissed her cheek. "I love it when you hold me, Liv."

Olivia wrapped her arms tighter around her waist and replied, "And I love holding you."

"I wish we could stay here forever. No school, no obligations, no interruptions," Alex said with a sigh.

"Me, too," Olivia whispered.

"What are we having for dessert?" Alex asked about ten minutes later.

Olivia snapped her fingers and replied, "Oh, that's right! I need to get back in there and get started on it!" She lifted Alex off her lap and sat her on the sofa beside her.

Alex followed her into the kitchen and asked, "Is there anything you'd like for me to do?"

"Yeah," Olivia answered. "Get the raspberries out of the fridge for me."

"What are you making?" Alex asked again.

Olivia turned to her and smiled as she placed a large mixing bowl on the counter. "Chocolate raspberry Bavarian cream."

Alex licked her lips. "You're about to make my stomach orgasm."

Olivia chuckled. She leaned over and whispered in her ear, "And by the end of the night that's not gonna be the only part of you that orgasms." Alex blushed deeply.

Smirking, Olivia drained the raspberries and set the syrup aside in a glass bowl. "Can you pass me the gelatin?" she asked Alex.

"Sure," Alex responded, handing her the packages.

After sprinkling the gelatin over the raspberry syrup, Olivia poured the bag of chocolate chips, milk, and sugar into a saucepan. Alex picked up a spoon and began stirring. After the chocolate was smooth and creamy, Olivia added the raspberry gelatin mixture. "Can you get me another bowl, sweetie?"

"Sure," Alex said. She located another bowl from the cabinets and placed it next to Olivia. "Now what do we have to do?"

"Well, add a little more milk and some vanilla extract," Olivia instructed her.

"Are we done?" Alex asked, stirring gently.

"Well, for now. I'm gonna refrigerate it for a little while. In the meantime, we can have more time to cuddle."

"And I can give you your present!" Alex exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly.

Olivia laughed. "Sweetie, you want me to open it now?"

"Yep," Alex answered. "Come on, let's go!"

Olivia shook her head. "Ok, babe. But let me get this in the fridge first or we won't have any dessert!"

After the mixture was in the refrigerator, Alex led Olivia into the den and presented her with her gift. "Go ahead, open it!" Alex said excitedly.

Olivia grinned and took the wrapping paper off the box. Taking off the lid, her face lit up when she pulled out the two white puppies kissing and holding each other's paws. "Aww!" Olivia gushed. "This is the cutest thing ever, Alex!"

Alex beamed. "I'm glad you like it. See, stuffed animals aren't always a bad thing."

"Only when it's Tweety," Olivia joked.

"Hey," Alex said, playfully shoving her shoulder.

"Maybe the puppies can chase Tweety around," Olivia teased.

"They better not!"

"I kid, I kid," Olivia said, pulling her close and cradling the puppies against them.

After several minutes, they returned to the kitchen to take the dessert out of the refrigerator. Olivia folded the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture and poured it into an 8-inch fluted brioche mold. She placed the dish in the refrigerator again and took out the blender to puree the remaining raspberries. She then mixed in some whipped cream with them and set the topping aside for when the dessert was finally ready to eat.

"Now how long do we have to wait?" Alex asked.

"Just until it's nice and firm."

Alex grinned and said, "I like the sound of that." She dragged Olivia back to the sofa in the den and cuddled up in her arms again.

"You smell good," Olivia observed, stroking her back gently.

"You smell good, too," Alex replied, rubbing her stomach.

After several minutes of cuddling, Olivia remembered that she hadn't set things up in the bedroom yet. She untangled herself from Alex's embrace and said, "I need to take our things upstairs. No snooping around, kiddo."

Alex grinned and brought her knees up against her chest. "Ok, Mom," she joked. Olivia gave her a quick kiss on the lips before getting their things and retreating upstairs.

When she came back down, she found Alex in the kitchen. "Hey, didn't I say no snooping around?" she said, coming up behind her and wrapping her arms around her waist.

"Well, you were gone for so long that I got bored. Seriously, I thought you'd taken a nap or something. So I decided to check on the food."

"You mean eat it," Olivia said with a smirk as she wiped a little raspberry whipped cream topping from the side of Alex's mouth. She then looked into the oven and gently stuck a fork into a chicken breast. "Well, the chicken's almost done. Give it a few more minutes. Let's get these rolls in the oven and the mashed potatoes done."

Alex smiled brightly. "Garlic mashed potatoes?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Alex threw her arms around her neck excitedly. "I'll make the salad. You know the way to a girl's heart is through her stomach, right?"

Olivia smirked again. "You mean the way to _Alex's_ heart is through her stomach."

Alex pulled out a salad bowl and began mixing the romaine and iceberg lettuce. Olivia placed the yeast rolls on a baking sheet, put them into the oven, and then set the water to boil for the mashed potatoes.

"I absolutely love cherry tomatoes," Alex said, popping one into her mouth.

Olivia dumped a few into the salad bowl and said, "I can tell. But I think our salad will love them more."

"Hey, you. Stick to the potatoes," Alex ordered.

"I have to wait for the water to boil before I can add them in, sweetie." She took some crumbled feta cheese and sprinkled it over the salad greens. Then she added a few almonds as well.

Alex sighed. "Liv, I do know how to make a salad."

"I'm sure you do, babe. But I told you I wanted to completely take care of you tonight."

"Liv, we can take care of each other. I just wanna be of some help."

It was now Olivia's turn to sigh. The last thing she wanted to do was offend Alex and end up arguing on their perfect night. "All right, sweetie. I'll let you finish making the salad." She went over to the oven to take the chicken out.

Alex stopped mixing the salad and went over to stand beside Olivia. Placing a hand gently on her shoulder, she said, "Liv, I want you to know that I really appreciate all that you're doing."

Olivia flashed her a brief smile. "Thanks."

"The chicken smells delectable," Alex said, brushing some hair behind Olivia's ear.

"Hopefully it tastes just as good," Olivia replied with a slight laugh.

"I'm sure it does. You're the best cook I know."

Olivia grinned and replied, "Thanks, babe." Alex smiled and returned to her salad.

Olivia finished making the garlic mashed potatoes just as the oven timer went off. Alex grabbed an oven mitt and ran over to remove the rolls. "God, Liv, I've never been so hungry in my life!"

Olivia chuckled. "Sweetie, that's what you say every time you're about to eat." She went to the refrigerator to remove the Bavarian cream. Satisfied that the dessert had reached desired firmness, she slid it out of its mold and then topped it with the raspberry whipped cream she'd set aside earlier as well as some fresh whole raspberries. "Can we eat dessert first?" Alex asked hopefully, practically drooling.

"Don't even think about it," Olivia teased, standing in between Alex and the chocolate dessert. She carefully lifted the dish and placed it back in the refrigerator so it would be chilled when they decided to eat it.

Alex giggled. "Hey well, a girl can wish."

"Come on. Let's get the food in the dining room. Don't even think about touching the dessert until it's time to eat it."

They brought the meal into the dining room and sat down at the table. While Olivia piled food onto their plates, Alex went to the wine cabinet and uncorked a bottle of Domaine Zind-humbrecht Pinot Gris. Pulling out two wine glasses, she filled them and lifted hers to Olivia for a toast.

"I'd like to make a toast to the most beautiful, talented, and caring person on Earth. You complete me."

Olivia toasted her glass and replied, "And you complete me." _And in a few minutes you're going to find out just how much_, she thought.

Alex immediately tasted some of her chicken and leaned back in her chair in sheer delight. "Oh my god, Liv. You've _really_ outdone yourself this time. This is beyond fabulous."

Olivia grinned from ear to ear. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it! Seriously, this is the best chicken I've ever had," Alex complimented her, taking a bite of her mashed potatoes.

"The salad's pretty good, too," Olivia said, pouring a little more honey mustard dressing onto her plate.

"Why, thank you," Alex replied. "But you've really gotta teach me how to make all these great dishes one day."

"Sure thing," Olivia promised. "Cooking is one of my guilty pleasures. When I was growing up, Mom would be out a lot, so I'd have to fend for myself. So I experimented with a lot of stuff in the kitchen. It especially came in handy when she was too drunk to cook for us," she continued more softly, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Alex reached across the table and caressed Olivia's hand. "You're so strong, Liv. I really admire you. Seriously, I don't know how you do it."

Olivia smiled. "Having you around makes it a whole lot easier."

As they ate their dinner, Olivia felt butterflies increase in her stomach. _I really hope I don't screw this up_, she thought. When they were finally finished, she took a deep breath and thought, _This is it_. "Are you ready for dessert?" she asked Alex with a twinkle in her eye.

_What's she up to?_ Alex wondered. She had noticed how nervous Olivia looked while they were eating. Twice she had almost knocked over her wine glass. Smiling sweetly at Olivia, she told her, "You bet. I've been ready for it all night!"

Olivia pushed back her chair and stood up. "Ok, babe. I'll be right back. You stay right here. Got it?"

Alex nodded. "Whatever you say."

Olivia pulled the Bavarian cream out of the refrigerator and set it on the kitchen table. Once she had located a pie server, she cut slices for herself and Alex and placed them on dessert plates. Making sure Alex wasn't looking, she pulled one of the rings out of her pocket and carefully hid it under the whipped cream and raspberries of Alex's slice. Taking a deep breath, she carried the plates into the dining room and set Alex's before her. "Go ahead. Dig in," she told her, trying to contain her excitement.

As Alex began sliding her fork into her dessert, Olivia felt as if her heart would thud right out of her chest. She quickly took a bite of her own dessert to try to calm her nerves.

Alex felt her fork clink against something. "Wow, Liv. Are you sure those raspberries were thawed?" she joked. She removed the raspberry and saw what it actually was that had made the sound. The raspberry dropped from her hand as she stared in awe at the simple gold band set with a single princess cut diamond inside its face. It was partially covered in whipped cream and chocolate. Tears silently began dropping down her face. "Liv…this…this isn't…"

Olivia picked up the ring and squatted down beside her. "It's not an engagement ring, sweetie. It's a promise ring. I want you to wear it." She cleaned the dessert off the ring and gave Alex a lopsided grin. "Of course, I don't want your finger to be all sticky."

Alex looked down at the sincerity and love on Olivia's face and was so choked up that she couldn't even find the words at first to accept the ring. She just threw her arms around Olivia's neck and sobbed.

After a few moments of comforting her, Olivia pulled back from Alex and asked, "Baby, why are you crying so much?"

"I…I…I'm just so happy!" Alex exclaimed, another set of tears wracking her slender frame. Her brain could barely handle the flood of emotions running through it.

"I'm happy that I made you happy," Olivia responded softly. "Will you wear my ring?"

Alex's mouth dropped open. She was overwhelmed by yet another wave of emotion that hit her. "I'm so embarrassed," she said, desperately trying to wipe away the hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Don't be."

Placing her hand on Olivia's cheek, she said, "I love you so much, Liv. You keep doing stuff to make me fall more and more in love with you each day. This is just so concrete…so official."

"Sweetie, I never thought that I could ever love a human being as much as I love you. Before you, I merely existed but now I know what it's truly like to live. I know I've made some mistakes in the past, but I don't ever want you to doubt how much I love you again." Olivia smiled and brushed her fingers with her thumb. "Before I put this on your finger, I want you to read the inscription inside," she informed her.

Alex took the ring from Olivia and tilted it so she could read the inscription inside. The bottom of the diamond was surrounded by her initials on the left side and Olivia's on the right. Opposite their initials, there was another inscription that was placed on the bottom of the gold band. "Nichya," she sounded out. "What's it mean?"

"In Russian it means, 'No one's.' When I wear my ring, it means I'm promising to be no one's but yours, and when you wear this ring, it means you're promising to be no one's but mine."

Looking into Olivia's eyes, Alex said, "Liv…I can't believe…I mean I never expected…" She kissed her lips gently and continued, "I know I'm not being very articulate now, but what I mean to say is yes. I'd be honored to wear it."

Olivia's whole face lit up. "Thank you, sweetie. Thank you so much." She picked up Alex's right hand and placed the ring on her ring finger. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out the other one. Gently placing it in Alex's hand, she told her, "Now put mine on."

Following Olivia's lead, Alex picked up her right hand and slid the ring on her finger. They looked down at each other's hands and admired how beautiful the rings looked.

Kissing the ring on Alex's finger, Olivia felt her own tears start to fall. Absently brushing them away, she vowed, "Alex, I promise to love you, cherish you, protect you, and never leave your side—no matter what obstacles are thrown our way. I also promise to meet your every need in any way I can. And last but not least, I promise to make you my wife someday."

"And I promise the same to you," Alex vowed, her heart bursting with love.

"I may not have a lot of money," Olivia began, her voice breaking. "But my heart, my soul, my life is yours forever," she continued, tasting the salt of her tears as they ran down her lips.

"And that's worth more to me than any amount of money in this world," Alex whispered, wiping away Olivia's tears.

"God, Alex! You have no idea how happy you've made me!" Olivia exclaimed, sobbing against her chest.

"Oh, sweetie," Alex said, stroking her hair. "Shh, it's ok. It's ok."

When Olivia pulled back, the front of Alex's shirt was soaked with her tears. "Sorry," Olivia said, sniffling and offering her a dopey grin.

"Don't be. This is all so surreal, Liv. I feel like I'm gonna wake up next to you and tell you about this wonderful dream I had where you gave me a promise ring."

Olivia chuckled softly. "Trust me, baby. This is real."

Even though she knew Olivia wouldn't tell her, Alex felt compelled to ask anyway. "How much did these rings set you back?"

"It doesn't matter because I wanted to make this commitment to you. When we were dress shopping, you told me to save my money for something else I liked. This is what I saved it for."

"Oh, Liv," Alex whispered, kissing her again. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, sweetie."

"This ring is so gorgeous," Alex said, admiring it on her finger.

"Thanks. I wanted these to convey our love for each other without being flashy."

"It's perfect," Alex told her, placing her hand on her cheek. "Just like you." She pulled Olivia into a warm embrace.

Olivia smiled and stood up. "Now let's finish our dessert," she said, returning to her seat.

Alex smiled across the table at her. "There aren't anymore pieces of jewelry I should be afraid of swallowing are there?"

Olivia laughed. "No, sweetie. I'm afraid that was it."

Alex scooped some dessert into her mouth. "This is decadent, Liv. I could eat this all night long."

"Why, thank you," Olivia replied.

"So are you done with your fidgeting?" Alex asked.

Olivia laughed. "I hope so. God, I was so nervous earlier!"

Alex smiled. "I could tell." She scooped up some of her dessert and held it across the table for Olivia to eat. Olivia reciprocated by offering Alex some dessert from her own fork.

"I couldn't be happier right now," Olivia said.

"Me neither," Alex agreed. She took a sip of her wine and asked, "Does Elliot know what a big romantic softie you are?"

Olivia grinned. "Yep. He was with me when I got the rings."

Alex laughed. "Liv, he's always with you when you get jewelry for me."

"Well, he wanted me to help him pick out a necklace for Kathy. And it never hurts to have a second opinion."

"Aww," Alex cooed. "Well aren't you two just the cutest little shoppers."

"Hey, neither of us are opposed to shopping when it comes to the girls we love," Olivia replied. Alex smiled and they finished eating their dessert.

As they were putting the dishes in the dishwasher, Alex asked, "So what's upstairs that's so sacrosanct that I am forbidden to view it before you let me?"

Olivia grinned. "As soon as we finish cleaning up here, you'll see."

Once they were done, Olivia pulled out a blindfold and put it over Alex's eyes. "Liv, what is this?" Alex asked in shock.

"It's to make sure you see nothing before I want you to. Now stay right here," she ordered. Olivia proceeded to sprinkle a trail of rose petals up the stairs. When she came back down, she told Alex to take off her shoes and then began guiding her upstairs.

"Liv, you better not trip me up," Alex joked. As they walked up the stairs, Alex felt the smooth coolness of the petals against her feet and asked, "Wow, Liv. Are these rose petals?"

"Yep," Olivia whispered. When they were at the bedroom door, she scooped Alex up into her arms and carried her across the threshold.

Alex let out a little squeal and said, "Wow, Liv! You really plan on serenading me tonight or what?"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Olivia said, slowly removing her blindfold.


	21. Serenade

**Chapter 21: Serenade**

Alex gasped when she saw that scented candles had been lit all around the room. Soft jazz music was playing in the background. Olivia had placed white satin sheets on the bed and pink and red rose petals were strewn across it. In the center of the bed was a silver tray with chocolate-dipped strawberries.

"Oh, Liv," Alex said softly. "This is all so beautiful."

Olivia gently lay Alex down on the bed and removed her own shoes so she could get in as well. She picked up a strawberry and held it out to Alex's lips. Smiling at her, Alex gladly took a bite and then offered a strawberry to Olivia. Wiping some chocolate off the tray with her finger, she painted a line with it on Olivia's cheek.

Olivia giggled and sucked the remaining chocolate off Alex's finger. Alex leaned in and slowly licked the chocolate off her cheek. Olivia smiled and presented another strawberry to her.

"Liv, if you keep feeding me all night I'm gonna be too full to do anything but sleep!" Alex joked.

"I think I can take care of that," Olivia said, taking a quick bite of Alex's strawberry and then setting the tray on the nightstand. Now that there was nothing between them, she pulled Alex into her arms.

"Although…" Alex began, playing with Olivia's necklace. "I would've loved to play around with more of that chocolate."

"Oh really now?" Olivia teased, watching Alex's fingers at the base of her throat.

"Yes, really." She replaced her fingers with her lips and continued, "Just think of all the places I could put it…"

Olivia swallowed hard as Alex slowly began nipping at her collarbone. "Is that so?" she asked.

"You bet," Alex said, slowly unbuttoning Olivia's shirt with one hand while continuing to tease her collarbone. She slid her shirt off her shoulders and ran her hands over Olivia's ample cleavage. "Nice bra, babe," she commented, watching Olivia's nipples push against the light blue lace.

"I thought you'd like it," Olivia murmured.

Alex reached over, dipped her finger in some chocolate, and then drew a heart onto Olivia's cleavage. Some of the warm chocolate started to drip down the valley of her breasts. Alex watched it drip down to her belly button but busied herself with licking the chocolate off her cleavage instead.

Olivia reached around to undo her clasp in back but Alex grabbed her hand. "Nuh uh. We must be patient."

Olivia whimpered in distress. "Please, Alex…"

"In due time, sweetie," Alex promised. She pulled Olivia in for a soft kiss, letting her taste the chocolate on her tongue. Olivia sucked hungrily at Alex's tongue while unsuccessfully still trying to get her own bra unclasped. When Alex broke the kiss, she unzipped Olivia's pants and pulled her panties down just a little to reveal the very top of her dark curls. Dipping her finger in the chocolate again, she traced a line on the exposed curls and looked up into Olivia's eyes with a wicked smile.

Olivia felt her heart rate climbing. "Go ahead. Lick it off."

Alex gave a deep throaty laugh, which Olivia thought sounded considerably cruel given the circumstances. "Ok," Alex conceded. She licked her abs instead.

Olivia let out an exasperated groan. "Alex, that's not where I meant!"

"Not until you're wet," Alex told her.

Olivia looked down at Alex as if she were crazy. "Are you mad, Alex? My panties are soaked!"

"That's not wet enough," Alex said, licking the chocolate from around her navel.

"Not wet enough? Sweetie, what do you want? A waterfall?" Olivia asked incredulously.

Alex ignored her. She pulled Olivia's pants off her hips, down her legs, and then threw them on the floor. She laughed again when she saw that Olivia was right—the front of her panties was entirely soaked.

"Alexxxxx, this isn't funny!" Olivia whined.

Alex gingerly reached a finger out and traced some of Olivia's wetness off her underwear. Eyeing her intently, she stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked it loudly. Olivia thrust her pelvis upward, trying desperately to regain contact with Alex's hand, her arm, her _something_. Seeing Olivia's frustration, Alex straddled her stomach and leaned down to kiss her again. When Olivia sneakily tried to sit up and push Alex against her center, Alex pulled back and waved a finger at her. "Patience, sweetie. Patience."

Olivia frowned. "Sweetie…please…"

"Do you wanna come?" Alex asked. Olivia nodded helplessly. Alex could see the raw desire in her eyes and decided to give her at least a little reprieve. She lowered her mouth to her neck to gently suck. Olivia threw her head back with a moan as Alex reached around her back and finally undid her clasp.

"Oh god, Alex," Olivia breathed, wildly anticipating her next move.

While nipping at an earlobe, Alex squeezed her breasts through her bra, taking care to rub the lace back and forth over her nipples. Olivia shivered against her. Alex slid her hands underneath and lightly twisted her nipples.

The sensations shot straight down to Olivia's sex. "Alex…shit…baby…"

Alex finally removed her bra. She cupped Olivia's breasts and began kneading the soft flesh. She placed tender kisses on them and murmured, "Baby, you are so beautiful."

Olivia closed her eyes in delight as Alex continued lavishing attention on her breasts, flicking her warm, wet tongue out to meet smooth, creamy skin. However, she opened them again in frustration when Alex licked everywhere on her breasts but her nipples.

"Alex, you are driving me insane," Olivia informed her.

Alex chuckled and dipped her finger in chocolate again. She held it directly over one of Olivia's nipples and watched as it dripped down onto it. Swooping down, she took the engorged nipple into her mouth and sucked hungrily, which elicited a contented moan from Olivia.

"Yes…" Olivia said gratefully. "Oh fuck yes!"

Alex did the same with the other nipple and then moved down her body again. She removed Olivia's drenched underwear and threw it on the floor. She reached over to the tray again, picked up a strawberry, and held it right above Olivia's center with a wicked grin. Pushing her thighs apart and nestling between her legs, she finally licked off the chocolate that she'd used to coat the top of her curls several minutes prior.

Olivia looked intently at the strawberry. "Sweetie…please. Please touch me," she begged.

Smiling, Alex dipped the strawberry into Olivia's ample wetness. Looking her directly in the eye, she brought it to her lips and took a big bite. "Mmm…I love chocolate covered strawberries but Liv-covered strawberries are even better."

Olivia felt like she could faint. It was all she could do to keep from exploding as Alex dipped the strawberry into her folds again and finished it off. Alex then quickly removed her own clothes and settled again between Olivia's legs. As Alex bathed her sex with her tongue, Olivia reached a hand down to play in her hair. Alex's hair felt like pure silk and even it had the ability to elicit erotic pleasure. Every little sensation, every little touch, every little movement Alex made seemed to set Olivia's soul on fire. "Please, Alex. I need you inside me," Olivia begged.

Giving Olivia a knowing smile, Alex flipped her hair over her shoulder and plunged her tongue deep inside Olivia. Olivia let out a long, low guttural sound as Alex made love to her very core. She grabbed a handful of the sheets and twisted them tightly while Alex took her higher and higher.

Several minutes later, Olivia lay contently in her arms after an earth-shattering orgasm. "Damn, Alex. If giving you a ring gets me sex like that, then I'll give you one every day!"

Alex chuckled. "Glad it was good for you." She loved how the candlelight danced off Olivia's face and gave her eyes an even deeper intensity.

Olivia gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, "Well, I wanna make it good for you, too."

Alex chuckled again. "Sweetie, I'm surprised you have any energy left."

Olivia waggled her eyebrows and gently settled on top of Alex. "Oh, baby, I have plenty." Brushing some hair back from Alex's forehead, she said softly, "Um, I wanna try something a little new."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "How new?"

Olivia shrugged a shoulder lightly and said, "Well…um, I mean…I brought some toys that I thought we could try…"

A flash of fear crossed Alex's eyes. "Sweetie…I dunno."

"Come on, Alex. Don't be afraid. I thought we could try to chart some new waters. They're just toys, baby. Please?"

Alex watched as a grin slowly spread across Olivia's face. "How many?"

"Oh, you know just one or two. They're in the bag."

Alex got out of bed and opened up Olivia's bag. Gasping, she exclaimed, "Liv, you said one or two! There are like at least 7 in here!"

Olivia giggled softly. "One, two, seven—same difference."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Right, Liv." She began sifting through the toys and settled on the black light body paints and a little purple bullet.

Olivia grinned. "Why not the silver one, babe?"

Alex blushed and looked down. "I wanna try the slimmer one first."

Olivia carefully lifted Alex's chin and forced her to look into her eyes. "Sweetie, don't be embarrassed. If that's what makes you more comfortable, that's what we'll work with. Ok?"

Alex nodded and gave her a hug. "You're so understanding, Liv. I just don't want you to think I'm a big wimp."

"Aww, I'd never think that, sweetie," Olivia assured her, smiling and brushing her cheek. "I think your reservations are cute. And kinda innocent."

Alex smiled sheepishly. "Really?"

Olivia smiled and kissed her forehead lightly. "Yes, really. I'll be gentle, I promise. Ok?"

Alex nodded. "Ok," she said softly. She picked up the vibrator and turned it on.

Olivia laughed. "That's a little too high, baby."

Alex turned the dial down to a lower speed and handed it to Olivia. Sliding down her body, Olivia placed it at Alex's warm opening, slid it in gently, and began pumping it in and out.

"Mmm…" Alex moaned in pleasure. "That feels good. Use your tongue, too."

Olivia slipped her tongue inside under the bullet and synced their thrusting rhythms together. She suddenly pulled her tongue out and laughed. "It's making my tongue vibrate!"

"And that's a bad thing how?" Alex asked, smiling coyly.

Olivia shook her head and stuck her tongue back in. She reached a hand up to cup Alex's breast and roll her nipple back and forth between her fingers.

After a few minutes, Olivia pulled out of Alex and moved back up her body to capture her lips. As she let her tongue freely roam her mouth, she continued pumping the bullet in and out while pressing her thumb against her clit. It wasn't long before Alex was shuddering against her and holding onto Olivia's strong back for dear life.

"Livvie…" Alex said after she'd had a few minutes to recover.

"Hmm?" Olivia asked.

"Since we're talking about exploring new territory and all that…" Alex continued.

"Are you ready for round two?" Olivia asked, waggling her eyebrows at Alex.

"Well…kinda. But I wanna ask you to do something for me."

"Anything, baby," Olivia replied.

"Well…" Alex began, tracing lazy circles on Olivia's chiseled stomach with her finger. "Will you shave for me?"

Olivia looked confused. "Shave? Shave what?" she asked, although she knew exactly what Alex was talking about.

Alex let her fingers travel to Olivia's center and tugged gently on her dampened curls. "You know…down here. I've never seen it naked before."

Olivia gulped. "But Al…it needs its fur to keep warm!" she argued.

Alex giggled. "I'll keep it warm."

Olivia couldn't help but smile at Alex's statement. "I'm holding you to that, Cabot."

Alex got out of bed and held her hand out to Olivia. Olivia took her hand and they went into the bathroom.

"Take a seat," Alex said, gesturing at the toilet.

Olivia sat down. Alex ran her hand under some warm water and rubbed it in Olivia's soft curls. Then she grabbed the container of _Skintimate_, squeezed some of the gel out into her hands, and gently lathered up Olivia's sex. Picking up her Venus, she looked into Olivia's eyes and asked, "Are you ready?"

Olivia sighed. "Yeah," she confirmed, although a little nervously.

Alex caught Olivia's reservations. "Are you sure, sweetie? I mean, if you really don't wanna do this, we don't have to."

Olivia gave a quick smile. "No, it's ok. Go ahead. After all, it'll grow back. Just don't ever ask me to shave my head," she joked.

Alex laughed. "Oh trust me, I'd never do that. Your hair is way too hot as it is." She lifted the razor and began shaving.

"Just be careful not to nick me," Olivia said, looking down and watching her.

Alex met her eyes and smiled. "I'm always careful shaving."

When she was done, she took a warm, wet washcloth and wiped Olivia's sex clean. "So it's over that quick, huh?" Olivia asked with a slight chuckle.

"Yep. Just like that." She picked up a handheld mirror and gave it to Olivia. "Now take a look for yourself."

Olivia looked at her sex in the mirror with an amused grin. "It's so…naked."

Alex laughed. "It's supposed to be." She lightly trailed her fingers up and down Olivia's sex. Olivia felt a tremor of pleasure course through her; the sensation when Alex touched her there was amplified now that her fingers were in direct contact with bare skin. She could only imagine with great anticipation what Alex's tongue would feel like there now. It wasn't long before she got her wish.

Alex took Olivia by the hand and pulled her up. She then knelt down before her and began kneading her hips. She ran her tongue up and down the length of her outer folds several times.

"Liv, you taste so good," Alex murmured, lapping at Olivia's folds with her tongue.

"Shit, Alex," Olivia gasped, placing a hand on Alex's shoulder to steady herself.

Alex took Olivia's hand and placed it on her cleanly shaven sex. "Feel that, Liv," she ordered, moving Olivia's hand slightly up and down. "Feel how smooth it is." She saw a smile spread slowly across Olivia's face. "You like that?" Alex whispered, her breath warm against Olivia's deliciously exposed sex.

Olivia felt an involuntary shudder rip through her. "Alex," she breathed.

"What do you want me to do?" Alex asked softly.

"Anything. Anything you want," Olivia replied.

"Ok," Alex conceded. She parted her folds and began swirling her tongue inside her sex. She then pressed her tongue hard against Olivia's quivering nub and wiggled it up and down.

Olivia felt like every nerve in her body was going to explode. She had had all she could take before she felt her orgasm rob her of both breath and strength. She fell forward and almost toppled over Alex's head.

"Whoa, baby," Alex teased, trying to push her back upright. After she stood up, she joked, "Well, that was quick."

Olivia was still struggling to catch her balance; her knees felt like jello. "Hey now, it's your fault." She tried hard to stop her teeth from chattering. "Shit, Alex, what the hell did you do to me?"

"Exactly what I wanted," Alex responded with a smirk. "Come on, let's go play with the paints."

Once back in the bedroom, Olivia blew out the candles and set up the black light. She then jumped back in bed beside Alex and opened up some green paint. Dipping her fingers into it, she spread a layer of the paint down Alex's stomach.

Alex giggled and advised, "Just be careful not to get that in certain areas. The last thing I need is my mom taking me to the doctor because of some weird infection and having to explain how body paints got inside me."

Olivia laughed. "I'll be extra careful, sweetie. These are purely for aesthetic purposes."

"Yeah, that's what you say now." Alex opened up the pink paint and spread it across the top of Olivia's breasts.

"How'd I know you were gonna go for the pink?" Olivia asked, shaking her head.

"Because this is one of the few times I'm gonna ever see you in this color."

Olivia laughed again and rolled on top of Alex. "Anything for you, babe."

Alex ran a finger down Olivia's cheek, leaving a streak of pink paint in her wake. "I can feel our hearts beating together," she whispered, staring up into Olivia's eyes.

Olivia looked down into Alex's crystal blue eyes and whispered, "You're so beautiful."

Alex shifted her body a little underneath her and replied, "No, you are."

Olivia laughed. "Not this again."

"But you are," Alex insisted, closing her eyes and tilting her face slightly to meet Olivia's lips. Their kiss was long, sweet, and filled with love and devotion. Alex flipped them over and Olivia felt something wet against her back. She briefly broke away from Alex and sat up to see what it was. One of the containers of paint had spilled out onto the sheets.

Olivia reached around to her back and rubbed some of the paint off. "Alllllll! It's all over me!"

Alex laughed in glee. "And pink to boot!"

"I look like such a girly girl!" Olivia whined.

Alex reached around, rubbed off some of the paint, and spread it on Olivia's hips. "Now your ass is pink, too!"

Olivia stared at her in shock. "Alex, you did not just rub that on my ass!"

Alex grinned smugly. "I think I did."

Olivia shook her head and dipped her fingers into the orange paint. "Oh, you are so gonna pay!" she yelled as she held Alex down and smeared it all over her face.

"Liv! Liv, stop!" Alex demanded, reaching down and smacking Olivia hard on the ass while desperately trying to wipe the paint off her face with her arm.

Olivia squealed; however, she would not be deterred. She spread some paint on Alex's thigh just as Alex managed to spread more paint on her ass.

"Alex, I swear if there's paint in my asscrack…"

Alex giggled. "What ya gonna do about it, huh?" She gripped Olivia's ass tightly.

"This!" Olivia said. She smeared paint all over Alex's breasts.

In retaliation, Alex traced some blue paint on Olivia's areolas. She smiled at the bumpy texture from their aroused state and joked, "Look, Liv. Pokie dots!"

Olivia rolled her eyes and laughed. "Very clever, sweetie." She shook her head. "Where in the world do you come up with this stuff?"

Alex shrugged. "I dunno. But you know I've always been one to be creative."

Olivia kissed her forehead and said, "That I know."

Alex began poking her nipples with her finger. Olivia laughed and grabbed Alex's finger. "Baby, what are you doing?"

"I'm poking your pokies," Alex said, grinning.

Olivia shook her head. "Are we done with the pokie jokes for tonight?"

Alex grinned wider. "Hmm…I dunno. But if I think of another, you'll be the first to know."

"I'm sure I will," Olivia replied, kissing her on the nose.

Alex looked down at her own chest. "Liv…my boobies are all covered in paint!"

Olivia chuckled. "Well, my nipples and ass are!"

"Not just your nipples," Alex said, smearing paint all over her breasts.

Olivia smiled and pressed her breasts up against Alex's. "This paint is slippery!"

"So is the bed!" Alex exclaimed.

Olivia rolled off Alex and looked down at the sheets. "Yeah…I'm definitely gonna have to change them." She flicked a couple stained rose petals off the sheets.

"And we need to wash this paint off."

"Not before we make good use of it," Olivia said, waggling her eyebrows. She pulled Alex into her arms again and enveloped her soft lips.

* * *

A couple hours later, they lay in each other's arms, freshly showered atop clean sheets. "Thank you for the most wonderful day of my life," Alex said softly.

"And thank you for the most wonderful day of mine," Olivia replied, stroking her cheek. She picked up Alex's hand and twirled her ring around on her finger.

Alex giggled and watched Olivia's motions. "This ring still has me on cloud nine."

"Likewise," Olivia responded.

Alex sat up on her elbow and leaned over Olivia. Her hair gently tickled Olivia's breasts. Olivia started giggling. "What are you laughing about, sweetie?" Alex asked huskily.

"Your hair is tickling my boobs!"

Alex looked down at her hair and said, "Maybe my hair wanted to give the pokies a good night kiss."

Olivia grinned. "It's not their bedtime yet."

"Well, is it our bedtime yet?" Alex teased.

"Our bedtime isn't for several more hours," Olivia replied.

"Oh is that so now?"

"Yep."

"Well…we could get Olivet's homework outta the way so we have all day tomorrow to just spend time with each other."

Olivia shook her head. "No, sweetie. It's Valentine's Day. I'd rather wait until tomorrow. We aren't gonna focus on anything else besides us tonight."

Alex smiled and kissed Olivia's lips tenderly. "Sounds good to me." She looked down at Olivia's ring and continued, "I can't wait until all our friends see our rings."

Olivia smiled sweetly at Alex. "I can't either."

"You don't think anything will happen to the ring when I'm practicing do you?" Alex asked. "Should I take it off just to be safe?"

Olivia shook her head. "No. It'll be safe. I don't want this ring to ever leave your finger."

Alex grinned. "And I don't ever want it to. It's as much a part of me as my—"

"Heart," Olivia finished for her.

Alex laughed. "Yes. Wow, now we're even finishing each other's sentences!"

"Isn't it cute?"

"Yep," Alex answered. "We're one in the same."

"I've never needed anyone before you," Olivia confessed, holding Alex tight.

"Same here. But now we'll never need anyone else," Alex promised, kissing her again.

"You got it," Olivia responded, pressing her heart against Alex's.


	22. Playful

**Chapter 22: Playful**

"No, need sleep," Olivia mumbled as Alex tried to nudge her awake. She was lying on her stomach, perfectly content to sleep all morning if Alex would let her.

"Come on, Liv," Alex coaxed, rubbing her back. "Get up, I wanna make you breakfast."

"No, need sleep," Olivia repeated, not bothering to open her eyes.

"I'm horny," Alex whispered.

A smile slowly crept across Olivia's face. "Really now?"

Alex tickled Olivia's cheek until she opened her eyes. "God, you're so beautiful when you first wake up."

Olivia grinned and sat up on an elbow. "Only when I wake up?"

Alex laughed and shook her head. "You know what I mean."

"Show me," Olivia said, pulling Alex in for a kiss.

After the kiss ended, Olivia laid her face back against the pillows and closed her eyes again. Alex let out a frustrated groan. "Liv!"

"Just a few more minutes," Olivia insisted.

"Liv…" Alex whined more softly. She shook her shoulder. "Come on, you can sleep later."

Olivia raised her arms on the pillow and repositioned her face on them. "Just a few, babe. Then I promise I'll do _anything_ you want," she mumbled.

Alex traced a finger down the side of her breast and lightly squeezed her nipple. Olivia giggled. "That tickles!"

Alex tickled her eyelids but Olivia still refused to open them. "Come on, babe…" she pleaded.

"No," Olivia pouted.

Alex sighed. _I bet I know how to wake her up_, she thought. Placing one hand on Olivia's back, she used the other to slowly ease two fingers inside her.

"Mmm…" Olivia mumbled, licking her lips.

Alex pulled out right after Olivia had opened her eyes. She saw Olivia's frown and said, "Tricked ya!" And with that, she hopped out of bed and picked up her pink satin robe.

Olivia turned over and sat up a little. She pouted harder as she watched Alex put on the robe and tie the sash around her waist. "Come on, Alex! You can't leave without finishing what you started!"

Alex gave her a wicked smile and headed for the door. "I'm gonna go make breakfast. Belgian waffles and the works. Come on, get up and come with. If you don't hurry up, yours is gonna be cold."

Olivia groaned. She threw the covers to the side and tried to get out of bed, but the side of the sheets was dragging the floor and her foot got caught. She went flying headfirst onto the floor but managed to break her fall with her hands.

Alex held a hand to her mouth and tried hard not to laugh, but to no avail. She dropped her hand to her stomach and doubled over as Olivia lay sprawled on the floor. "Oh my god, Liv! I wish I could've recorded that in slow motion. Can I get an instant replay?"

Olivia glared at Alex. "Glad you find this amusing," she grumbled.

Alex walked over and reached a hand down to help Olivia up. "I'm sorry, babe. It's just that you…your face as you went—" Alex could barely get the words out as she burst into another round of giggles.

"Enough dammit," Olivia snapped, pulling herself up.

Alex still laughed. "Oh come on, sweetie. If that had been me, you know you'd be laughing your ass off, too."

"Well, it wasn't you," Olivia snapped again. Her whole body flushed red in embarrassment.

Alex noticed and reached a hand out to stroke her face. "Come on, Livvie. Don't be embarrassed. It's just me. We always do silly stuff in front of each other!"

"You laughed at me when I fell," Olivia pouted.

"Babe, I was laughing _with_ you, not at you."

Olivia let out a chuckle despite herself. "Oh, really? That's funny cuz I wasn't laughing."

"Ok, ok. I was laughing at you," Alex confessed. She kissed Olivia on the forehead and grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's just get downstairs. Just don't trip on your way down."

Olivia shoved her shoulder and pushed her out the door. "Very funny, Al."

Once they were downstairs, Alex set out the waffle iron, waffle mix, eggs, milk, rubber spatula, and bowl. Olivia sat on a stool beside her and watched her get started.

"Sweetie, don't you wanna put something on?" Alex asked as she mixed the batter for the waffles.

Olivia grinned wickedly. "Nope."

"Olivia, do you always have to wear nothing when I cook?"

Olivia grinned. "Yep."

Alex sighed and shook her head. "Well, if you aren't gonna put on any clothes, make yourself useful and get the bacon and cheese out of the fridge for me, will ya?"

"Your wish is my command," Olivia replied, hopping off the stool.

After pouring the batter in the waffle iron, Alex put the strips of bacon on the stainless steel griddle to fry. "You want yours soft or crispy?"

"Soft," Olivia murmured, stepping behind her and wrapping her hands around her stomach.

Alex smiled and leaned back against Olivia. "You're distracting me."

"And you're enjoying it," Olivia whispered.

Alex giggled. "That I am. Now go beat the eggs for me before I enjoy it a little too much."

"All right," Olivia said with a smirk. She grabbed a smaller bowl and started cracking eggs into it. She then picked up a whisk and began beating them to perfection.

Alex cut the Velveeta into chunks and put the chunks in the beaten eggs. "Thanks for beating, babe."

"No problem," Olivia said, picking up a chunk of cheese and throwing it into her mouth.

Alex rolled her eyes as she watched Olivia reach for another piece of cheese. "Babe, I said thanks for _beating_, not eating."

Olivia chuckled. "I know."

Alex reached a hand out to work the tangles out of Olivia's hair. "Aw sweetie, your hair is so tangled."

Olivia snorted. "That's what rough sex does to ya."

Alex rolled her eyes again. "Oh, puh-_lease_." She poured the eggs and cheese mixture into a skillet and began stirring.

"Ah, multi-tasking. Nice," Olivia teased. "Are we gonna have strawberry syrup with our waffles?"

"We have strawberry, blueberry, and maple."

"Damn, babe," Olivia replied with a laugh. "I didn't know this was IHOP."

"If you're good, I'll even put a little whipped cream on top of yours."

Olivia licked her lips. "I love whipped cream. Maybe if we have some left we can put it on top of other things…"

Alex shook her head. "You're bad. Is sex always on your brain?"

"Well, it wouldn't be if you didn't get me all worked up earlier."

Alex gave her a look. "Liv, I hardly touched you."

"That's because you're such a tease," Olivia said, pulling Alex into her arms and stealing a kiss.

Alex threw her head back as Olivia attacked her neck. "Liv, you're gonna make me mess up the food!"

"I'll take care of that," Olivia whispered, grabbing some tongs and transferring the bacon to a plate. She reached over and flipped the waffle iron while she was at it.

Alex turned back around to face the stove. "Hey, babe. Get me another bowl for the eggs, will ya?"

"Sure," Olivia said, although a little disappointed at the complete loss of contact with Alex.

When the eggs were cooked, Alex scooped them into the bowl. Olivia poured the rest of the batter into the waffle iron as Alex got plates from the cabinets and set them on the kitchen table. Walking over to the refrigerator, she asked, "What kinda juice do you want?"

"Grape will be just fine," Olivia answered.

"Ok." Alex poured the grape juice in a pitcher and then placed it in the middle of the table.

A few minutes later, they were sitting down enjoying their meal. Alex got up to get some more Country Crock for the waffles. She was just about to return to her seat when Olivia pulled her down into her lap. "Liv," Alex whined. "Do you have to do that?"

"I just want you close to me," Olivia whispered, taking a bite of her eggs. She reached over and moved Alex's plate next to hers.

Alex smiled and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. Olivia's need for her affection and attention reminded her of a little puppy. She thought it was cute. Olivia had never acted that way with anyone but her.

Olivia poured more strawberry syrup on her waffles and offered a bite to Alex, who had chosen blueberry for hers. "Good, babe," Alex said, wiping away a little bit of the syrup that had dripped down her chin and offering Olivia a bite of her waffles in return.

"This food is so amazing," Olivia complimented her. "You did a terrific job."

"Thanks, sweetie," Alex said, grinning. She loved it when Olivia complimented her on her cooking. She finished another strip of bacon and looked down at her watch. "Well, it's 8:30 now. When do you wanna leave?"

"Never," Olivia responded with a lopsided grin.

"Well, me too. But realistically, babe."

Olivia sighed. "Maybe around 6 or so."

Alex echoed her sigh. "I wish it were a weekend. We'd have longer."

"Yeah, me too. So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well, I thought we could cuddle and watch movies."

Olivia smiled. "Sounds like a good idea to me. But first you promised me a nap."

Alex chuckled. "Only if I can snuggle in your arms."

"Deal," Olivia said, finishing her juice.

* * *

A few hours later, Olivia stirred in her sleep. Opening her eyes and yawning, she looked over at the bedside clock. _12:03 p.m._ She turned back over and looked at Alex, who was still sleeping. _My little angel_, she thought.

Alex opened her eyes and smiled up at Olivia. "How long have you been up?" she asked sleepily.

Olivia grinned down at her. "Just a few minutes. Now who's the sleepyhead?"

Alex smiled sheepishly. "Cuddle?"

Olivia grinned and snuggled up to Alex. "You read my mind."

Alex stroked her arm softly. "Can you read mine?"

Olivia placed her hand at the small of Alex's back and pressed her lips hard against hers. When she pulled back she said, "Yep. You wanted me to kiss you like that."

"Actually, the kiss I had in mind was more like this," Alex said softly, pulling Olivia back down and completely invading her mouth.

A few minutes later, Olivia's cell phone started ringing. She groaned in frustration. "Who the hell?"

"Don't answer that," Alex whispered against her mouth.

Olivia ignored her phone call, but it wasn't long before Alex's cell started ringing. "You don't think it's anyone important, do you?" Olivia asked, pulling back.

Alex frowned at the loss of contact with Olivia's soft lips. "I doubt it." Nonetheless, she rolled over and grabbed her phone off the nightstand. She rolled her eyes when she saw that it was Serena but flipped it open anyway. "What do you want?"

"Well, don't sound so cheery, my dear. Elliot tried to call Olivia but she wasn't answering, so I decided to call you. What are you guys up to?" Serena asked.

"Serena, what the hell do you think we're doing?" Alex asked with annoyance in her voice.

"Are you naked?" Casey asked in amusement. Both Olivia and Alex heard all their friends laughing in the background.

"Funny, Casey. Serena, why the hell do you have me on speaker phone?" Alex demanded.

"So we can all share in the fun," Serena responded.

"Well, unlike you immature kids, Liv and I are gonna get back to doing _adult_ things," Alex told her.

"If by adult you mean fucking each other's brains out," Serena joked.

Olivia took Alex's cell and turned it on speaker phone. "Guys, seriously. Just leave us alone, ok?"

"Tsk, tsk. Is someone cranky?" Elliot teased.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Elliot, you're supposed to be on _my_ side."

"When are you guys getting back?" Casey asked.

"Sometime tonight," Alex answered.

"Well, we have a shitload of reading for Euro," Serena informed her. "And we're having a quiz tomorrow, too."

"Shit!" Alex cursed loudly. "Stevens is such an asshole."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Serena muttered.

"Can I borrow your notes?" Alex asked.

"Sure," Serena responded. "Just call me when you get back and I'll bring them over."

"Sweet," Alex responded.

"Well, we'll let you get back to your um…activities," Casey said. "Although we all know how raunchy and X-rated they probably are."

"Don't pay them any attention!" Kathy shouted.

"Thanks, Kathy," Olivia responded.

"Bye, guys," Alex said into the phone before closing it.

"Sweetie, let's turn our phones off," Olivia suggested.

"Done," Alex responded, turning hers off and dropping it on the floor.

"Now where were we?" Olivia asked, grinning and consuming Alex's mouth again.


	23. Sacrifice

**Chapter 23: Sacrifice**

Alex's mouth almost dropped to the floor when she and Olivia came into her room to find Mrs. Cabot sitting on Alex's bed with her legs crossed.

"Mom, what are you doing in my room?" Alex asked, dropping her purse on the floor.

"Alexandra, I received a call today from school. I was informed that you were not present." She switched her gaze to Olivia. "Olivia, could you please leave? I'd like to talk to Alexandra alone."

"Is Alex in any trouble?" Olivia asked, putting the rest of Alex's things down.

Madeline glared at her. "I'm really not sure how that's any of your concern."

Olivia took a deep breath and mustered up all the courage she had inside. "Well, I care a lot about Alex."

"I'm sure you do," Madeline commented dryly.

"I don't want her in any trouble over what's probably just a misunderstanding," Olivia continued.

"Oh really? And just what would this little _misunderstanding_ entail?" Madeline inquired.

"Mom, I told you we were spending the night at Serena's," Alex argued.

"You were still expected to go to school the next day. Serena certainly did," Madeline responded.

Alex sighed. "We had a party. I'll admit there was alcohol. I ate too many chocolates coupled with a few drinks, and I was really sick this morning. Since Serena was going to school, I couldn't stay there so Olivia took care of me at her place."

Madeline looked at Olivia again. "How noble of you. But Janice would have been more than able to tend to Alex's needs."

"Mrs. Cabot, Alex was in very good hands with me. She always is," Olivia explained.

"Your job is to attend school and get an education, not to take care of my daughter," Madeline responded tersely. "Now will you please _leave_."

"Mom, you have no right!" Alex screamed, bawling up her fists. "No right at all!"

Olivia looked at Alex and put her hand on her back. "It's ok. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok," Alex responded, giving Olivia a quick hug. Olivia returned her embrace and then exited her room.

"Mom, you cannot just tell my friends to leave!" Alex shouted, almost to the point of tears.

"I can tell anyone to leave my house that I wish," her mother retorted. "Olivia has no business interfering in matters between a mother and daughter."

"I can't fucking believe you," Alex muttered, looking down and shaking her head.

"Watch your language, young lady!"

"Well you should watch your manners!" Alex retorted hotly.

"Silence, child! Now let's get down to business. Alexandra, I've heard some rumors at school concerning your _friendship_ with Olivia. People are saying that the two of you are in a lesbian relationship, that they've seen you kissing."

Alex gave a sardonic laugh. "Oh, really? Do you always believe rumors you hear about me?"

Her mother pursed her lips. "Although the information comes from a reputable source, I use my own discretion."

"What 'source'?" Alex asked, doing finger quotes.

"That information is privileged."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Mom, so what? In the past centuries, girls used to kiss all the time and it wasn't a problem. That was just the culture then. Now this culture has returned. It doesn't have to mean anything! If you can't trust your own daughter, then that says something about you. Now will you please leave my room? I have homework to do."

Her mother stood up and walked over to her. "Don't you dare defy me in my own house, Alexandra!"

"It's my house, too!" Alex yelled.

"You are very close to getting grounded for the next month," her mother threatened. "And as I recall, someone wants to plan quite a grand sweet 16 that requires quite a lot of Mom and Dad's money…"

Alex felt a tear roll down her cheek. "Mom, you wouldn't!"

"If you keep disrespecting me I will." Her eyes burned into her daughter's. "You're lucky I'm letting you off easy this time. The next time, you won't be so lucky." And with that, she walked out the room and closed the door.

Alex sat down on her bed and dialed Olivia. "Is everything ok?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah. But I think my mom is catching on. She said someone at school told her that we were dating because they saw us kissing."

Olivia's heart started racing. "Who?"

"She wouldn't say. But I told her that didn't mean anything because girls in the past used to kiss each other and girls today do the same. I yelled at her about the way she treated you and she got all pissed off about me defying her and shit. She even threatened to ground me and cancel my birthday party!"

Olivia shook her head. "Wow. What a bitch."

"Tell me about it. She didn't punish me, though. She told me I was lucky she was letting me get off easy this time."

Olivia let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good."

"What are we gonna do, Liv? And who do you think told?"

"Geez, babe. I don't know. It could have been a teacher. But Olivet promised she wouldn't tell."

"Maybe it wasn't her." Suddenly, the blood drained from Alex's face and a sour taste hit the back of her throat.

"Abbie," she and Olivia said in unison.

"What a stupid fucking bitch," Olivia muttered.

"Mom said the info came from a 'reputable' source, but how do we know it wasn't Abbie posing as someone Mom knew from school? After all, Mom did say it was a phone call."

"She's gone too far this time," Olivia threatened.

"Boy. I knew she was a bitch, but I didn't know she was _this_ vindictive."

"She's gonna regret it. Trust me on that one, babe," Olivia vowed.

"No, Liv. Don't do anything to her. The last thing I want is you in any kind of trouble."

Olivia sighed. "I guess you're right. But I'd love nothing more than to slap that stupid smirk clear off her face."

"I wish you were still here. I miss you. I miss you a lot," Alex said softly.

"I miss you too, pookie. But everything's gonna be ok, you got that? You don't have anything to worry about. We'll get through this, even if the whole world is against us."

Alex smiled brightly at the confidence and fearlessness in her voice. Olivia's strength helped boost hers as well. "Everything would be so much easier if we were adults."

"Well, I don't have much longer," Olivia responded. "But our age is irrelevant. We're young adults. Our parents can't treat us like little kids."

"That's right. It pisses me off that they are trying to control us. And Liv, I'm sorry about my mom's behavior toward you tonight. That was totally uncalled for. Also, thanks for sticking up for me like that and saying you cared about me. That really meant a lot to me."

Olivia smiled on her side of the phone. "No problem, sweetie. Don't worry about your mom. I'm sure I can handle her."

"Ha!" Alex scoffed. "I need to make sure I can. I don't like when she waves idle threats around like that."

"Sweetie, don't let her dangle her money over your head. So what if you don't have some huge birthday bash? I'll throw you a party, invite our closest friends, and make you feel more special than she ever could."

Alex smiled. "Aww, Liv. You're so sweet."

"Hey well, it gets me a hot date every now and again," Olivia joked.

Alex giggled. "Only every now and again?"

"Ok, all the time. Alexandra Cabot is the hottest date I could ever have."

"Oh, Liv. You silly girl."

"I'm serious, sweetie."

"I wish you were holding me right now," Alex replied.

"I wish I was, too. But I'll hold you soon."

Alex smiled, taking comfort in Olivia's words. "Well, I guess I better call Serena to let her know she can come over. I hate quizzes."

"Me, too. Don't study too hard now."

Alex laughed. "Don't worry. When I need a break, you'll be the first person I call."

"I'll be waiting by the phone. Love you."

"Love you, too," Alex replied. "Bye."

"Bye, baby." Olivia closed her phone and sighed happily. Fingering the gold pendant Alex gave her for Christmas and staring down at her ring, she was determined to never let their parents tear them apart.

* * *

Meanwhile, Alex was sitting on her bed clutching a framed photograph of her and Olivia. She knew it was only a matter of time before their parents found out the truth, but like Olivia, she vowed to never let their parents tear them apart. For Olivia, she knew she would make the ultimate sacrifice, even if it cost her her parents' trust, money, respect, and love. She could live without all of those, but she knew she could never live without Olivia. Thinking of the perfect song for her mood, she picked up her iPod, scrolled down to t.A.T.u.'s _"_Sacrifice," and hit the play button.

_Can you tell me softly  
How you always haunt me?  
Can you help me? Hold me  
Come to me now, slowly_

_You caress me smoothly  
Calm my fears and soothe me  
Move your hands across me  
Take my worries from me_

_I will sacrifice  
I will sacrifice  
All I have in life  
To clear my conscience  
_

_I will sacrifice  
I will sacrifice  
All I have in life  
Sacrifice, sacrifice_

_Can you fill me solely  
Deeper still and wholly?  
With your understanding  
And your arms around me?_

_Can you help me? Hold me  
Whisper to me softly  
Move your hands across me  
Take my worries from me_

_I will sacrifice  
I will sacrifice  
All I have in life  
To clear my conscience_

_I will sacrifice  
I will sacrifice  
All I have in life  
Sacrifice, sacrifice_


	24. Confrontation

**Chapter 24: Confrontation**

Once again, Olivia did not heed Alex's advice about not confronting Abbie. Storming up to her in the locker room Thursday afternoon after practice, she roughly shoved her into the lockers. "You stupid little bitch," Olivia growled.

Abbie frowned and pushed Olivia's hands off her shoulders. "Fuck off, Olivia. And move outta my way."

"No. Not until you stop fucking with our lives!" Olivia retorted.

"I'm not doing anything to you or Alex. You're not that important to me. Now get lost."

"Listen, I love Alex! Don't you dare try to ruin what we have!" Olivia yelled.

Abbie laughed. "You might wanna get some help for your paranoid delusions there, Liv."

"Stop playing games, Abbie. I know you're the bitch who called Alex's mom," Olivia snarled.

Abbie looked at Olivia as if she were crazy. "I have no clue what you're talking about. Now you wanna get outta my face?"

"That depends. You wanna stop trying to wreck my fucking life?" Olivia responded nastily.

Abbie rolled her eyes. "Olivia, I'm so tired of your fucking macho act. You have no proof I was the one who called Mrs. Cabot."

"Oh, I know it was you. Who else is out to get us?"

Abbie folded her arms. "How should I know? But you two don't exactly keep your relationship private. You choose to make out all over school! It could've been any student or teacher who's seen you and you automatically blame me."

"That's because you're the only one with a grudge who wants Alex!"

Abbie scoffed. "I do not want Alex. I have a girlfriend."

Olivia snorted. "You don't really care about Lexie. You're just using her as a distraction until you think you're smart enough to get to Alex. And let me tell you something, Abbie. You'll never be that smart cuz she doesn't want anything to do with you."

A wicked smile crossed Abbie's lips. "If she's smart she won't want anything to do with _you_."

Olivia glared harder at her. She slammed her hand against the locker beside Abbie's face, secretly content when she flinched. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Well, let's see," Abbie began, straightening up again. "You're violent, possessive, selfish, reckless, unstable, and most of all you're a bitch," she continued, counting off the reasons on her fingers. "Face it. You're a ticking time bomb and Alex needs to get away from you as soon as possible."

Alex came in with Serena and caught Abbie's insults of Olivia. She walked over and placed her hand on Olivia's shoulder. "It's ok, sweetie. She's not worth it."

Abbie saw Olivia bawling up her fists. "Benson, if you hit me, I will have you arrested for assault."

"Who said I was gonna hit you? Gettin' scared, Abbie?" Olivia asked.

Abbie snorted. "Of you? Are you serious?"

"Liv, come on. Let's just go," Alex insisted. She glared at Abbie over Olivia's shoulder. "Stay the fuck outta our lives, Abbie."

After glaring into Abbie's eyes for a few seconds longer, Olivia took a few steps back so Abbie could walk past her. Feeling devious, she stuck her foot out and Abbie went sailing over it onto the floor.

Serena and Alex burst out laughing. Abbie quickly scrambled to her feet and sneered at Olivia. "You think you're so funny, bitch? We'll see who gets the last laugh."

Olivia laughed in her face and taunted, "Yeah, right. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out." Abbie angrily got her things and stalked out of the locker room.

Once Abbie had left, Serena said, "Wow, I can't believe she's such a bitch. Why doesn't she just give up?"

"Because that would be too sensible," Alex responded. She placed a hand gently on Olivia's back. "You ok, sweetie?"

Olivia nodded. "Yeah."

"What did she say before we got there?" Alex asked.

Olivia recounted their conversation to Alex and Serena. Serena rolled her eyes and said, "It was obviously her. She needs to stop bullshitting."

"Liv, you knew she'd never admit to it. I told you not to waste your time on her," Alex said. "She gets off on seeing you squirm."

"Our lives would've been _so_ much better if she'd never brought her ass to our school!" Olivia replied.

"Yeah. She has Lexie, so she should leave you two alone. I swear if Casey's ex tried to fuck with us I'd bust his balls," Serena stated.

Olivia smirked. "Yeah. I'd like to bust something on Abbie all right."

Alex quickly looked around. Lowering her voice, she said, "Liv, not so loud. You don't want anyone running back to Abbie and telling her you've made threats against her."

Olivia laughed bitterly. "Threat? No. Promise? Yes."

Alex wrapped her arms around Olivia and squeezed tightly. Pulling back, she said, "Baby, please don't do anything to her. Don't even talk to her anymore. She does shit like this just to bait us."

"I agree with Al, Liv," Serena responded. "She's just doing stuff to gauge your reaction. So don't give her one."

Olivia sighed. "I guess you guys are right. Maybe she'll just fall off the face of the Earth."

Alex and Serena laughed. "Let's all cross our fingers," Alex said. She threw Olivia's bag over her shoulder and continued, "Come on, let's get outta here."

Olivia smiled. "Carrying my bags now, huh?"

Alex grinned. "Just thought I'd return the favor. And if you're good, we'll go get some sundaes. I'm paying."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Double hot fudge?" she asked hopefully.

Alex grinned. "Triple."

Olivia squeezed Alex's hand and said, "Mmm. If I knew torturing Abbie would get me such a great treat, I'd do it more often."

Serena laughed. Alex shoved Olivia's shoulder playfully and said, "Hey! Don't get any ideas!"

Olivia grinned. "I'll try to behave just for you."

"You better," Alex told her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and pulling her out the locker room.


	25. On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

**Chapter 25: On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!**

"I'm so stoked we both have meets at the same school this weekend!" Alex exclaimed excitedly as she got on the bus Friday afternoon.

"Me too, babe," Olivia said, walking up the steps behind her.

Alex rushed to the very back of the bus and chose a seat. "We should have plenty of privacy back here," she whispered huskily as Olivia slid in beside her.

"I know. This ride should be very um…interesting," Olivia said, waggling her eyebrows.

"I'll say," Alex replied, smiling sexily. She pulled Olivia to her for a passionate kiss, capturing her lips over and over again.

"Mmm…my lips are in heaven right now," Olivia mumbled against Alex's mouth.

"Just your lips?" Alex asked, slipping her tongue inside Olivia's mouth.

They were pretty much lost in their own little world when an annoying voice cut into their thoughts. "Um hello, you two. We're _still_ in public."

Clearly shocked, Alex and Olivia pulled back and glared at her. "Fuck off, Abbie," Olivia warned.

"Save the freak show for later," Abbie said nastily.

"We were just kissing, you cunt," Olivia responded just as nastily.

"Ooh, cunt? Your expansive vocabulary amazes me, Olivia," Abbie replied.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Mind your own, Abbie. We don't interfere in your life, so stop trying to interfere in ours."

"Whatever," Abbie muttered, turning back around in her seat. "You guys are gross."

"Just ignore her," Alex said, kissing Olivia again.

Olivia grinned and played with a few locks of Alex's hair. "How long do you think it'll take us to get there?"

Alex shrugged. "Oh, I dunno. Less than an hour."

"Good," Olivia said, laying her head in Alex's lap. "I wanna take a nap. Don't push me on the floor."

Alex giggled. "Don't tempt me," she teased.

Olivia closed her eyes and smiled happily. "You smell nice," she mumbled.

Alex reached down and stroked her hair. She played with her earlobe and replied, "Thanks."

"I like it when you play with my ears," Olivia said.

Alex chuckled. "They're so cute. I can't resist."

Serena turned around and threw some M&M's down on Olivia. Olivia opened her eyes and threw a few back over the seat at her. She picked the others out of Alex's lap and ate them. "Hey! You're not supposed to eat 'em," Serena teased.

Olivia grinned. "Shouldn't have thrown 'em at me. You know how I love M&M's."

"What else do you have?" Alex asked Serena.

Serena looked in her bag. "Um…some Cheetos, Starburst, Whoppers, and water."

"Ooh, can I have some Whoppers?" Alex asked.

"Sure," Serena said, pouring a few of the chocolate-covered malt balls into Alex's anxiously awaiting hands.

Olivia sat up and grabbed some from Alex's hands. "Mmm…I love Whoppers!" she said, popping them in her mouth.

"Hey!" Alex protested. "You just had M&M's!"

Olivia giggled. "And now I have Whoppers, too."

"I wish this lame bus had TVs or something. We could at least watch movies," Serena said.

"Oh, I know," Alex agreed. "You guys wanna order pizza when we get to the hotel?"

"Sure," Serena answered.

"That's cool with me," Olivia said, laying her head back in Alex's lap.

After arriving at the hotel, Alex and Olivia got their room keys and got on the elevator to go up to their rooms. They went to Olivia's room first. When Olivia slid the key card in to open her door, she saw that she was sharing a room with Lexie and two other girls on the swim team. She groaned and said, "Come on, let's go to your room and see if we can get someone to switch with me."

"Ok," Alex agreed.

They were even more disappointed when they unlocked Alex's door. "Shit!" Olivia exclaimed angrily when she saw who was putting her stuff on the other bed.

"Ooh, this should be fun," Abbie taunted. "Who would've ever thought I'd get to sleep with Alex this soon?"

Olivia took a deep breath. _Maybe if I'm nice to her, she'll stop tormenting us, _she thought. "Abbie…will you please switch beds with me?"

Abbie laughed cruelly and crossed her legs on the bed. "Not a snowball's chance in hell."

Olivia started grinding her teeth. "Abbie, I'm serious. Please just switch beds with me."

"No. All gymnastics team members should be in their own rooms and all swim team members should be in theirs. No mixing. If you have trouble locating the rooms assigned to your team, I would be happy to escort you down the hall," she responded, a condescending grin spreading across her face.

Olivia had to keep all her impulses in check to keep from punching Abbie in the nose. "Abbie, look. I've tried to ask you nicely. There's no reason to be a bitch."

Abbie grinned wickedly. "I'm sorry, Olivia. Come again? Since when does calling me a bitch constitute asking me nicely?"

"Abbie, please just trade with Olivia. Let's just bury the hatchet right now, stop fighting with each other, and try to get along," Alex pleaded.

Abbie ignored Alex's plea for peace. "Hey, Alex. Do you remember when we'd lie in bed together at night and feel each other up? Man, those were good times."

Olivia felt her blood boiling. Alex placed her hand comfortingly on Olivia's back and responded, "Abbie, so what? Everything was above the belt so it didn't matter anyway."

"Oh, judging from your moans it mattered enough," Abbie responded, grinning slyly.

"Stop trying to make me jealous," Olivia demanded with a sneer.

Suddenly, Lexie Porter came into the room in a very risqué lace tank and boy shorts. "Hey, sweetie," she said, walking over and sitting next to Abbie on the bed. She uncrossed Abbie's legs and then straddled her waist. After leaning down to plant a kiss on Abbie's lips, she swung her long dark hair over her shoulder and looked back at Alex. "Alex, do you mind switching rooms with me? Abbie and I kinda had um…plans."

Alex smiled victoriously. "Why certainly, Lexie." She picked up her stuff and happily followed Olivia out.

"I'm so glad we got rid of her. I was just about to go back and beg Lexie to switch beds with me," Olivia said gratefully.

"Good, cuz I wasn't too comfortable with you sleeping with Lexie either. You'd probably wake up and she'd be 'accidentally' naked beside you."

Olivia chuckled. "In the end it all worked out."

Once they were cuddled up in bed together, Olivia asked, "So did you and Abbie really fool around that much?"

"We touched each other, but it wasn't as much as she made it seem. It's not like we just had a big grope fest every night."

"Did she ever see you naked?"

"No," Alex responded. "We only dated a couple of weeks, Liv."

"It's just…the pokies get jealous easily," Olivia said with a pout, pointing her index fingers at her chest.

Alex laughed. "Your nipples get jealous?"

"Hey now. They're very sensitive."

"I bet they are," Alex said, lightly pinching one of Olivia's nipples.

Olivia giggled. "Hey! You know they get excited easily."

Alex laughed and shook her head. "Silly pokies. Are you nervous about tomorrow?" she asked.

"Nah," Olivia said. "Thinking of you will just make me swim harder."

"Not too hard, I hope," Alex said, trailing a finger down her cheek. "I don't want you wearing yourself out in the water."

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "No, I'll just be wearing myself out other ways."

Alex laughed. "Liv, we need all our energy for tomorrow's meets."

Colee Simmons and Natalie Watts, two of the other swim team members, were in the bed on the other side of the room. "You two are so cute together!" Colee exclaimed.

Alex and Olivia turned to them and grinned. "Why, thank you," Olivia responded.

"How long have you two been dating?" Natalie asked.

"Since early last semester," Alex answered.

"Aww," Colee and Natalie cooed in unison.

"Yeah," Olivia answered, smiling sheepishly.

"Are you guys in love?" Colee asked.

"Very much so," Alex answered, looking at Olivia and lovingly rubbing her nose against hers.

"Aww," Colee and Natalie cooed again.

Olivia grinned. "Yep. Alex makes my heart sing."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Colee shouted.

The door opened and Serena peeked in. "Hey, girls." She closed the door and ran over to Olivia and Alex's bed. "What are you two lovebirds up to?" she asked, getting in.

"Just talking," Alex answered.

Colee and Natalie got up and headed for the door. "Hey, we'll be next door," Natalie said. "You guys want anything while we're out?"

Olivia shook her head. "No. We're good."

Serena picked up a pillow and hugged it to her chest. "I miss Casey," she pouted.

Alex and Olivia looked at each other with knowing smiles. "I bet," Olivia answered.

"What do you think she's doing now?" Serena asked.

"Why don't you call her and see?" Alex replied.

"She's masturbating about you," Olivia teased.

Alex hit her with the pillow. "Liv!"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Casey doesn't masturbate."

Olivia gave her a look. "Oh, come on. Everyone masturbates."

Serena laughed. "Do you?" she asked.

"Well…now that I have Alex…" Olivia began.

Alex shot her a warning glare. "Liv…"

"Yeah, Liv. Stop while you're ahead," Serena told her.

Alex groaned. "Can we change the subject please?"

Olivia smirked. "Whatever you want, babe."

"So when is Casey getting here?" Alex asked Serena.

"She's driving up tomorrow morning. She'll be here by breakfast," Serena answered.

"Is she gonna give you a personal wakeup call?" Olivia teased.

Serena gave her a look. "Not the type you're talking about."

"Let's just order pizza," Alex said, wanting to change the subject.

Olivia smirked again. "Fine." She reached for the phone book and the phone. "What kinda pizza do you guys want?"

"Meat Lovers," Alex answered.

"Sounds good to me," Serena added.

Olivia placed the order for a large Meat Lovers pizza, cheese sticks, and a 2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper. "Ooh, Liv, can we also get some wings from Wingstreet?" Alex asked.

Olivia took the phone away from her ear. "What flavor? And bone-in or bone-out?

"Spicy barbecue. Bone-in," Alex answered.

Olivia placed the order for the wings and then hung up the phone. "You're not gonna eat all the wings are you?"

Alex threw a pillow at her. "No. I'll leave you a couple," she teased.

When their food arrived, Alex went straight for the cheese sticks and wings. "Well, I guess saying you're hungry is an understatement," Olivia said, grabbing a slice of pizza.

"Let's put a DVD in," Serena suggested. "I brought Simple Life."

"Those girls are complete morons," Olivia commented.

"Yeah, Liv. But that's why they're so funny!" Alex replied, cuddling up to her.

"Thank God not all rich girls are like that," Olivia said.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Serena agreed. She put in the DVD and then got back on the bed. Reaching for a cheese stick and some marinara sauce, she looked down at Alex's clothes and noticed that she didn't have on her Tweety pajamas. "What, Alex? No Tweety tonight?"

"Don't encourage her," Olivia teased, wrapping her arm around Alex's shoulders.

Alex smirked. "For your information, I decided to leave my Tweety pajamas at home."

"She still managed to bring the underwear," Olivia said, grinning.

Alex slapped her on the arm. "Liv!"

Serena laughed. "Don't worry, Alex. Your secret's safe with me."

"I'll have you know that I only brought them for good luck," Alex said in her defense.

"Right," Serena and Olivia said in unison.

Alex shook her head and turned up the volume on the TV. "You two are just jealous you don't have any tweeties."

Olivia laughed. "If you say so, babe. If you say so."

* * *

In a few hours, Alex and Olivia were ready to fall asleep. Alex turned over in Olivia's arms so that she was facing her.

"Mmm," Olivia murmured.

"Liv, is your shirt off?" Alex whispered.

"Yeah, why?" Olivia asked, looking puzzled.

"There are other people in this room!"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. We're under the covers."

"Funny, this one isn't," Alex remarked, pulling the cover up over Olivia's left breast which was exposed.

"Well, Alex, it was until you pulled the cover back to see if I was topless."

Alex lowered her voice. "Liv, I just don't want them seeing you naked."

"I'm not naked, Alex. I have on pajama pants."

"Well, I don't want them seeing you topless either!"

Olivia sighed and reached for her wife beater. "Fine, Alex. I'll put it back on. But it wasn't like anyone was gonna see anything anyway." After putting her top back on, she turned her back to Alex and held her pillow tighter.

Alex cuddled up to Olivia and rubbed her hand up and down her arm. "Liv, don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad," Olivia mumbled. "Just annoyed."

Alex sighed. "Same thing."

"Alex, let's just get some sleep, ok?"

"No. I can't go to sleep if you're angry with me," she said softly.

"Alex, the only reason I took my top off was because you've always liked cuddling with me that way when we're sleeping."

Alex pouted. "I know. I'm sorry, babe. I overreacted." She shook her shoulder. "Come on. Turn back over. For me, pookie?" she asked, playing with her ear.

Smiling, Olivia turned back over and placed her hand on Alex's stomach. "Your stomach's nice and warm, sweetie."

"Isn't that how you like it?"

"You betcha." She sighed deeply and pressed her hand tighter on Alex's stomach. "Tell me a story."

"What story?" Alex asked, amused.

"It doesn't matter. I just wanna hear your voice. It'll help me fall asleep."

Alex rolled over so that she was lying flat on her back. She placed Olivia's head on her chest and kept her hand pressed against her stomach. "How about I tell you the story of how I fell in love with this beautiful, brown-eyed brunette?"

Olivia grinned. "I think I'd like that very much."

"Once upon a time…" Alex began.

* * *

Olivia sat up with a jolt at the blaring of the alarm clock. "Shit!" she muttered, disappointed in not getting more hours of sleep. She slammed the snooze button and gently nudged Alex. "Baby. Baby, wake up."

Alex rubbed her eyes sleepily and gazed up at Olivia with a look of confusion on her face. "What time is it?"

"5:45. We need to get the shower first."

Alex frowned. "Liv, I'm sleepy."

"Come on, sweetie," Olivia said, scooping Alex up and taking her to the bathroom.

She placed Alex's feet on the floor and patted her on the back. Alex leaned against her and mumbled, "Let's just skip out on our meets."

"Our coaches would kill us. They're already pissed we missed a practice. We're lucky they're letting us participate at all." She walked over and started the shower. Alex fumbled with the buttons on her pajama top. Olivia came back over and helped her quickly undo the rest.

"You may have to hold me up in the shower," Alex joked.

Olivia picked her up and stepped into the shower. Alex was still leaning against her with her eyes closed, so Olivia reached forward and turned the water on cold.

Alex's eyes shot open. "Liv! It's cold!" She shivered and cuddled closer to Olivia, who turned the water back warm.

"That was to wake you up," Olivia replied.

"I'm awake," Alex said, stifling a yawn and turning around to get body wash. "Liv, will you wash my back?"

Olivia smiled. "Sure, sweetie." After soaping up Alex's back, she poured some shampoo into her hands and began massaging her scalp.

"That feels good, Liv," Alex commented.

Olivia rinsed the shampoo out and then turned around for Alex to shampoo her hair and wash her back. "Ok, your turn."

Alex began massaging Olivia's strong shoulders. "Hopefully this will come in handy when you're swimming."

Olivia chuckled. "Ah, I'm sure it will."

"Yeah. Need to get those muscles nice and loose."

Olivia looked over her shoulder and smirked. "Nice and loose, huh? I thought you liked my muscles kinda tight."

Alex shoved her shoulder. "Stop being dirty."

"Who said I was?"

"I know you too well," Alex replied.

A few minutes later they stepped out of the shower. Alex wrapped a towel around herself and started brushing her teeth. Olivia picked up the tube of toothpaste. "Alex, it's almost gone!" she whined.

Alex spit out her toothpaste. "There's still enough for you to use. Squeeze from the bottom."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Alex, I know how to work a container of toothpaste." Olivia squeezed the bottom of the container and it came shooting out against the mirror.

Alex burst out laughing. "Yeah, Liv. You worked it all right!"

"Shutup, Alex!" Olivia snapped, turning red. She started squeezing again when Alex yanked her towel down.

"Oh yeah, that's real mature, Alex!" Olivia shouted, picking up her towel and quickly rewrapping it around herself. "Just let me brush my teeth in peace!"

"Liv, you're so sensitive. I was just joking," Alex said. Olivia didn't respond. She finished brushing her teeth and wiped her mouth. Alex sighed. "Liv…"

Olivia headed for the door. "Let's just get dressed, ok?"

Alex grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I was just messing around." She gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "You're so cute when you're cranky." She lightly tickled her neck.

Olivia giggled softly. "I wanna stay cranky."

"But I won't let you," Alex said, turning her around and kissing her tenderly.

Olivia gently nibbled Alex's bottom lip and said, "Ok, you win. Now we really need to get dressed."

Once they were back in the bedroom, Alex said, "Well, we have about an hour to spare before breakfast. What do ya wanna do?"

"Let's watch cartoons! I used to always watch them on Saturday mornings as a kid," Olivia exclaimed excitedly.

Alex giggled and started flipping through the channels. "You're so cute, babe." She kissed her hard on the cheek and lay back against the pillows.

"Are you gonna spend the night at my place tonight?" Olivia asked.

"Yes. That water bed is gonna feel sooooo good."

Olivia laughed. "You're starting to sound like me now."

"I could really go for a cheeseburger right now," Alex said lustfully.

Olivia grinned. "A cheeseburger? What happened to good old fashioned pancakes and sausage?"

"I could go for those, too," Alex joked.

About 20 minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Alex got up to open it. Serena and Casey came in and climbed into bed. "Hey, girls," Olivia greeted them.

"Hey," Serena said.

"You girls ready?" Casey asked.

"Yep," Alex answered, reclaiming her spot beside Olivia.

"Serena has been talking nonstop all morning. I threatened to run away if I heard the words 'double twist' or any combination of the two one more time," Casey stated.

Serena pretended to pout. "You wouldn't really miss my meet, would you, darling?"

"Of course not, babe," Casey replied, leaning in for a quick kiss. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Alex was happy that her meet was a few hours after Olivia's. "We'll get to watch each other. I'm so excited!" she exclaimed.

Olivia wrapped her arm around Alex's waist and pulled her close. "Are you gonna be nervous that your hot swimmer girlfriend is going to be watching every little move?"

Alex laughed. "A little. I'd hate to mess up but to mess up in front of you would be double embarrassing."

"What's up first?" Olivia asked.

"Vault, actually," Alex answered. "Then bars, then beam, then floor. But Donnelly's not letting me vault because there were some key exercises she says I missed on Wednesday."

"That's bullshit," Olivia muttered. "You're the best on the team!"

Casey cleared her throat and placed an arm around Serena. "Oh, I beg to differ," she said.

Olivia looked at Casey with a smug smile and brushed her hand through Alex's hair. "We'll see today."

* * *

"Where's Liv?" Casey asked, sitting down with some nachos and cheese. Serena reached over and grabbed a chip.

"She's right over there. Right in the middle," Alex answered.

"She looks pumped," Serena noted.

"Yeah, she's totally gonna kick ass!" Alex replied. She always loved how strong and confident Olivia looked before she competed.

The referee blew his whistle and all the girls stepped up onto the starting block. The first event was the 50 meter freestyle. "Go, Liv!" Alex screamed.

The starter yelled, "Take your mark!" Olivia and all the other girls got into position.

At the sound of the buzzer, Olivia jumped off her block and glided smoothly into the water. She was already way ahead of the other girls. One of the girls from Westwood was quickly catching up to her, though. However, she still didn't pass Olivia. Olivia finished the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.79 seconds. She got out of the water and lifted her goggles on top of her swim cap. Shaking the water off her, she looked up at Alex and smiled. Alex looked back down at her with a huge smile on her face, waving the banner she'd made for her and screaming happily.

Cragen came over and slapped Olivia on the back. "You did great, Olivia! You got the best time!"

Olivia grinned. "Yeah, I'm stoked about it."

"Take a break. You need to save your energy for the 100 free," he continued.

Olivia groaned. "I'm looking more forward to the 50 back."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I can't say I blame ya."

After a short break, Olivia walked back over and prepared for the 100 freestyle. At the sound of the buzzer, she glided into the water again for the second time.

"I love how she does that little flip when she reaches the other end," Alex commented.

"Sweetie, they all do that," Serena informed her.

"Yeah, but Liv's is the best!" Alex insisted. "Go Liv!" she yelled.

Olivia finished the 100 freestyle with a time of 53.15 seconds. She climbed out and shook the excess water from her body. "Aww, she's like a little puppy!" Alex exclaimed.

Serena and Casey looked at each other. "Smitten," Serena stated.

"Completely smitten," Casey added.

Alex rolled her eyes and looked over at the scoreboard. She squealed when she saw her name and time; Olivia had scored first in her event again. "Isn't she awesome?" she asked Serena and Casey.

"Liv is really fucking good," Casey replied. "I couldn't swim that fast if my life depended on it."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Alex responded. She started screaming for Olivia again. Olivia looked up at her and gave her a thumbs up. She also blew her a kiss. Alex blew one back while Serena and Casey waved.

Serena laughed. "Alex, your throat is gonna be _raw _by the time this meet is over."

"Oh, it'll be well worth it," Alex replied with a huge grin, waving her banner.

Olivia's final event was the 50 meter backstroke. Alex watched with pride as Olivia's strong arms and legs propelled her through the water effortlessly. She finished with a time of 35.04 seconds, placing second.

Alex made her way through the crowd while Olivia talked to Cragen. When she finally was just a few feet away, she ran over to Olivia, who picked her up in her arms. Alex giggled. "Liv, you're soaking me!"

Olivia put her down. "I guess I am pretty wet, huh?"

Alex rubbed her hands up and down Olivia's arms. "And cold, too! Baby, you have goosebumps!" She grabbed a fresh towel and wrapped it around Olivia's shoulders.

"I'll be much warmer after my shower," Olivia said, placing a kiss on Alex's forehead.

"I bet," Alex replied. She brushed a few of Olivia's wet locks behind her ears. "So how does it feel to be the best swimmer here?"

Olivia laughed. "Well, I can't say I'm the best. I didn't come in first in back."

"Aw, babe. That doesn't matter. That chick just got lucky this time," Alex said, draping her arms over her shoulders.

Casey and Serena came over to congratulate Olivia. "Well, well. You really kicked some ass out there!" Casey complimented her.

"Yeah, Liv. You were amazing," Serena added.

Olivia grinned. "Thanks, girls. Well, I'm gonna go take a shower. We'll meet up in a few, ok?"

"Ok," Serena and Casey said in unison, walking off hand in hand.

Alex and Olivia started walking toward the locker room. "You looked so beautiful in the water, Liv."

"Thanks. I'm still bummed I got second in back, though," Olivia pouted.

"Sweetie, that's ok! You got first in the others, though!" She pulled Olivia to the side and tweaked her nipples. "The pokies were very good little swimmers today."

"They're cold," Olivia pouted.

"I can warm them up," Alex whispered.

Olivia grinned. "Baby…"

"I love it when you call me that," Alex said, consuming her mouth.

Olivia giggled. "Sweetie, we're blocking the water fountain."

"They can just go to concessions," Alex mumbled against her mouth.

After a few minutes of making out, they finally made it back to the locker room. "I'll be out in a few, ok?" Olivia promised.

"Ok," Alex said, giving her another quick kiss.

About 7 minutes later, Olivia came back out and got dressed. "Did you call Casey and Serena?"

"Yeah. We're all gonna get lunch at the mall."

"Hungry, Alex?" Olivia asked, picking up her gym bag.

"_Starved_," Alex responded.

"Need some extra fuel for your routines this afternoon?" Olivia asked her.

"You know it," Alex replied. "I'm really in the mood for some Japanese."

"Mmm. Sounds yummy," Olivia said, linking her arm through Alex's as they walked out.

* * *

"Liv, I'm so nervous!" Alex exclaimed, jumping up and down a little.

Olivia placed her hands on Alex's upper arms and stilled her movements. "Babe, you're gonna do fine. Just calm down. Take a few deep breaths."

"But what if I fall off the beam?" Alex asked, pouting.

"You won't, sweetie. You'll be perfect."

"What if I fall off the bars?" Alex whined.

Olivia laughed. "Alikins, you're gonna do _great_."

"You really think so?" Alex asked, cuddling closer to Olivia.

"I know so," Olivia replied, kissing her softly.

"Does my bun look ok?" Alex asked.

Olivia laughed again. "Sweetie, it's perfect. Everything is."

Casey came over to them. "Come on, Liv. Let's get seats. Serena said Donnelly wants to have a last minute meeting."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Figures," she muttered. She kissed Olivia and said, "Wish me luck, ok?"

"You don't need it. You're the best out there. Break a leg, ok?"

Alex gave her a look. "Liv, that's exactly what we _don't_ want to happen."

Olivia chuckled. "Yeah. I forgot this is gymnastics, not acting."

"If I fall and break something, it's your fault."

Olivia's smile faded. "Baby, don't joke about something like that. The stuff you do can be dangerous."

Alex placed a finger at each corner of Olivia's mouth and turned her lips into a smile again. "Sweetie, I'm not gonna get hurt. Don't you worry at all, ok?"

Olivia pouted. "I'll try not to. Promise me you won't get hurt?" she asked, putting her hands on Alex's waist and swaying her back and forth.

Alex rubbed her nose against Olivia's and replied, "I promise. Now if I don't get over there with the other girls Donnelly is gonna have my ass."

Olivia giggled. "Hey, she better not! Your ass belongs to me!"

Alex laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. I'll see you after we're done, ok?"

"Ok," Olivia replied, giving her one more kiss before jogging out of the locker room.

Casey was waiting for her outside. "Geez, I thought you'd never come out!"

Olivia laughed. "I was just giving my little gymnast a last minute pep talk."

"Right. Let's go so we can get good seats."

Once they were seated, Olivia opened a bag of Skittles and popped some in her mouth. She noticed Casey staring at her. "What?" she asked, her mouth full.

"Gonna share some?"

Olivia smirked. "I suppose." She poured a few in Casey's hand.

In a few minutes, the vaulting began. "Serena's up next!" Casey said excitedly.

"I wish my baby was vaulting," Olivia whined.

"Well, she would be if you two weren't having a little post-Valentine's love fest," Casey teased.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Oh, whatever. It was well worth it."

After the girls had finished vaulting, Alex dipped her hands in the chalk and rubbed them together. She then rubbed some on the bottoms of her feet and waited patiently until it was her turn on the uneven bars.

Olivia leaned over to Casey and said, "I love the way she rubs the powder on her."

Casey gave Olivia a weird look. "Um…if you're getting turned on by that, you need help, sweetie."

Olivia laughed. "Hey, I didn't say it was a turn on! I just said I liked it."

Casey smirked. "Righttttttttt."

Alex walked over to the uneven bars and took several deep breaths before starting her routine. She began with a hecht mount, followed by a kip, cast to handstand, and Stalder to handstand. She then did a giant full turn into a Tkatchev.

"What if she falls?" Olivia asked Casey.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Liv, she won't. Stop stressing over this. You're gonna make me nervous about Serena."

Alex finished with a full twisting double layout dismount. "She totally stuck it!" Olivia said excitedly. She stood up and clapped until her hands hurt.

"Wow! Alex is really good!" Casey commented.

When the judges' scores were averaged, she scored 9.575. "She beat Serena," Olivia said proudly.

"Yeah, Liv. By 1/100th of a point."

Olivia grinned. "That's good enough for me."

Alex's next event was the balance beam. Olivia knew that Alex had spent countless hours trying to perfect her routine because it was her weakest area. Olivia got butterflies in her stomach when Alex's music began and she did a punch front mount on the beam. Alex's routine was complicated and the last thing she wanted was for her to fall and get hurt.

Olivia watched as Alex did a split leap. "Ooh, look at how she spreads her legs, Casey! So graceful!"

Casey stifled a laugh but couldn't resist teasing Olivia. "Oh, I'm sure you know very well, Liv."

Olivia swatted Casey on the arm. "That's not what I meant!"

Casey grinned. "Right."

Alex did a standing Arabian, followed by a front aerial, which made Olivia especially nervous. "Whew! I'm so glad she didn't hit her head!" Olivia said, letting out the breath she'd been holding.

Casey looked at her. "Liv, she's practiced this hundreds of times. She's not gonna get hurt, ok?"

Olivia smiled. "I know. It just makes me jumpy, is all."

They watched the rest of Alex's routine, which included a back handspring, layout step-out, and switch side leap. She dismounted with a triple twist and smiled triumphantly at the end.

"She was terrific!" Casey exclaimed.

"I know!" Olivia agreed, clapping loudly. "Way to go, Alex!" she yelled, frantically waving the banner she'd made for her.

On the balance beam, Alex scored a 9.625. After talking to Donnelly and a couple other teammates, she waved at Olivia and Casey.

"You were great, Alex!" Olivia shouted. She was ecstatic that Alex had scored so high on the balance beam.

Alex took a drink of water and grinned at Olivia. "Thanks!" she shouted back. She sat down and watched the rest of her teammates finish the balance beam.

"Look at Alex's bun! It's so cute! She spent like hours trying to get it right."

Casey shook her head. "Seriously, Liv. You better not _ever _tease me about being in love with Serena again."

Olivia turned crimson. "It's not like I talk about Alex all day or anything…"

Casey laughed. "No, Liv. Just 23 hours and 59 seconds of a day."

Floor exercises were the last event. Olivia was crossing her fingers because she knew floor was Alex's best event.

"Alex's ass looks really hot in that little leotard," Olivia told Casey. "She has a great figure."

Casey smirked. "I can see the wheels turning in your head already."

Olivia grinned and let out a long, loud wolf whistle. Serena turned around to look up at her, along with a few other teammates. Casey slapped her on the arm and whispered, "Liv! You're gonna mess up her concentration!"

When Alex's music began, she opened with a pike full-in. She did a roundoff, back handspring series, tour jete, front handspring, front layout, front full, and front tuck. She then did a double Arabian, roundoff, back handspring, and double pike.

"She has really good form," Casey commented.

"I know," Olivia responded, grinning. "She had amazing height on those pikes!"

Casey grinned. "Well, look at you. You've got the terminology down and everything!"

Olivia laughed. "Alex has only drilled them in my head about a thousand times!"

Alex finished with a 2 ½ twisting dismount and received a score of 9.875. Olivia picked up her banner again and waved it proudly.

After being congratulated by Donnelly and her teammates, Alex ran over to meet Olivia, who had already made her way down the bleachers and was waiting excitedly for her. She jumped in her arms and threw her legs around her waist. "Whoa there, little gymnast!" Olivia said, laughing.

"I placed first!" Alex said excitedly.

Olivia grinned. "I know, Aly. I'm so proud of you!"

Alex's smile temporarily faded. "But my All Around score sucks ass because that bitch wouldn't let me vault."

Olivia bounced Alex in her arms and said, "Sweetie, it'll be ok. There will be other meets. We all know that you would've placed first overall if you'd vaulted."

"Hey, I resent that!" Serena said jokingly, coming up behind them with Casey's arm wrapped snugly around her waist.

Olivia turned around and Alex jumped down. "Well, if it isn't the two little lovebirds," Casey teased.

"We try," Alex joked.

"You were really good too, Serena," Olivia complimented her.

"Why, thank you," Serena said, bowing.

They all talked for a few more minutes before Casey said, "Hey, Serena and I are gonna go get some candy. Call us after you shower and we'll get dinner, ok?"

"Ok," Alex said, taking Olivia's hand and heading to the locker room.

"You know, the pokies were really proud of you," Olivia teased when Alex got out of the shower. "They were cheering right along with me the whole time!"

Alex giggled and whispered in her ear, "So that's why they look about ready to burst out of your shirt?"

Olivia laughed. "They just wanna properly congratulate you."

Alex grinned. "I bet. I'm just glad these meets are over!"

"You said it," Olivia replied. "Talk about a load lifted off our shoulders."

"Oh, I know, right? But hey, everything turned out ok, didn't it?"

"Yep," Olivia responded, smiling and planting a kiss on her lips. "Come on, let's get outta here."

After putting their stuff in Casey's trunk, Alex and Olivia got in the backseat. "Hey, you two. No funny stuff back there, ok?" Casey teased.

Alex laughed. "Ok, ok. I'll tell Liv to behave."

Olivia's mouth dropped open and she pretended to be offended. "Me?"

"Yes, you. My little lovebug," Alex responded. She poked Olivia in the stomach.

"Aww, lovebug! That's so cute," Serena gushed.

"Don't get any ideas," Casey said, looking over at Serena.

Serena grinned. "Oh come on, Case. Don't pretend you don't like my little pet names for you. My little snuggy-wuggy."

Alex and Olivia fell all over each other in the backseat while Casey blushed several deep shades of red. "Snuggy-wuggy?" Olivia replied. "Oh, I'm _never_ letting you live this one down."

"Serena!" Casey exclaimed, completely mortified.

Serena reached over and pinched Casey's cheek. "Case…come on, don't be embarrassed."

"Stop it, Serena! You're distracting me!"

"I think this would be more of a distraction," Serena replied, running her hand up and down Casey's thigh and brushing her lips across her ear. Casey let out an involuntary moan before she could stop herself.

Olivia waggled her eyebrows at Alex. She unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted over right next to her.

"Liv…buckle your seatbelt back," Alex ordered.

"Alex…I wanna play, too!" Olivia pouted.

"There will be no playing in my car!" Casey declared, still red. She looked at Serena. "Serena, stop encouraging them!"

"Just wait until I get you home," Olivia whispered in Alex's ear. "I'll be your own personal balance beam." She scooted back over to her side of the car and buckled her seatbelt again.

Alex shivered and licked her lips. "Liv…"

Serena crossed her legs and unbuttoned the first few buttons of her shirt. Casey's mouth dropped open. "Serena!"

"What?" Serena asked, smiling slyly.

Casey looked in her rearview mirror at Alex. "What bad habits did you teach her?"

Alex laughed. "I didn't teach her anything. I guess Serena is just naturally seductive…"

"You're not helping the situation!" Casey shouted.

"Sweetie…I have to go to the bathroom," Serena stated, crossing her legs.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Right now?"

"Well…I could go in your car."

Casey groaned. "Fine. We'll pull into a gas station."

When they reached the nearest gas station, Casey unbuckled her seatbelt and asked, "Hey Alex, can you pump my gas for me while I go inside?"

Alex smirked. "And why do you need to go inside too, might I ask?"

Casey gave her a look. "I wanna buy some chips. Is that ok, Mom?"

"Fine by me," Alex responded, laughing. Casey shook her head and gave Alex her credit card. Then she and Serena went inside.

Alex got out and filled Casey's tank. She got back in beside Olivia and trailed a finger up and down her jawline. "So what were you saying earlier, babe about a balance beam?"

Olivia grinned. "You could practice on me."

"How about I practice on your lips first?" Alex asked, pulling Olivia's bottom lip gently with her teeth.

Olivia closed her eyes. "Mmm…that sounds terrific."

They had only been making out a few minutes before the car doors opened again, shocking them out of their reverie. Serena shook her head and said, "Boy. And you call us bad."

Olivia smirked. "Hey, Alex and I were just kissing. We can't say the same for you two!"

Casey grinned. "I'm invoking my 5th amendment right not to incriminate myself."

"Speaking of which, where are your chips?" Olivia asked.

Casey blushed again. "Shit…I forgot them. Ah well, I can do without them. Uh…where do you guys wanna get dinner?" she asked, trying to divert the topic.

"Let's go to T.G.I. Friday's," Alex suggested. "It's where Liv and I went on our first date."

Olivia grinned. "Sounds good to me." She reached over and brushed Alex's cheek. "Baby, that night was so special to me. You have no idea."

Alex grinned. "I think I do. 'Cause it was special to me, too. I was on cloud nine for the next few days because of that night we shared."

"Ok, guys, don't make me tear up in my own car!" Casey joked.

After they arrived at the restaurant and were directed to their booth, Casey and Serena sat on one side and Alex and Olivia sat on the other. Alex laid her head on Olivia's shoulder and said, "I wuv you so much."

Olivia turned her head and kissed Alex on the top of her head. "And I wuv you, too." She rubbed her back with one hand and looked at the menu with the other. "What appetizer do you wanna get, baby?"

Alex sat up to read the menu. "Hmm…how about some Sesame Jack Chicken Strips? We can all share them."

"Ooh, I think I'll get a half-order of loaded potato skins," Casey pitched in. "They're soooooo good!"

"Ooh, we should have a girlfriend showdown. See which of our girls can eat the most!" Olivia teased.

Serena jerked her thumb in Casey's direction. "I don't even think Casey could compete with Alex's stomach."

"Hey! I resent that!" Alex joked.

"I dunno, guys. I'm starvin'! I don't even think Alex can compete tonight," Olivia added.

Alex giggled. "Yeah, I knew I heard someone's tummy growling and it wasn't mine."

"I love Jack Daniel's sauce," Serena pitched in. "Do the chicken strips come with it?"

"Yep," Olivia answered.

"Mmm…Jack Daniel's sauce. Lots of Jack Daniel's sauce," Alex said, almost drooling.

"I love their sauce, too!" Casey said with a grin.

After they'd placed their orders for drinks and appetizers, Serena reached across the table and grabbed Alex's hand to admire her ring. "I can't get over how beautiful you guys' rings are!"

Olivia beamed proudly. "I'm just glad she's wearing it."

Alex turned to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Of course I'd wear it."

Olivia blushed lightly. "Well…I know. I was just nervous, that's all."

"God, I love you!" Alex exclaimed, pressing her lips against hers.

Casey reached under the table and squeezed Serena's hand. "They're so fucking cute," she said.

"Oh, I know!" Serena gushed.

"You know, you guys really give Serena and me strength," Casey said.

"Really?" Olivia asked curiously.

"Yep," Casey answered. "Seeing you two so out and happy and not giving a damn about what the world thinks allows us to be who we are without worrying about what anyone else might think."

Alex beamed. "Aww guys, that really means a lot to us."

Olivia smiled. "It's really encouraging. You know, to know that we have a positive influence on another couple."

"Yeah, at first thinking about kissing Casey or holding her hand in public scared me a little bit. But you two do it all the time like it's no big deal, like you're a normal couple. So I figured me and the Casester had the right to a normal, happy relationship, too," Serena added.

"Aww, Casester," Alex cooed.

"You guys are adorable," Olivia complimented them.

"Thanks," Casey and Serena said in unison.

"You know guys, we should all triple date with Elliot and Kath," Olivia suggested.

"That would be a lot of fun," Casey replied.

In a few minutes, their appetizers arrived. "Are you girls ready to order?" the waitress asked.

"We think so," Alex answered. "I want the glazed ribs."

"I'll have those, too," Olivia decided.

"I'll have the Jack Daniel's chicken," Serena said.

"And I'd like the Island Grilled Mahi Mahi," Casey ordered.

The waitress wrote down all their orders and then walked off again. Serena looked at Casey with a smirk and said, "Had to break the trend, didn't ya?"

"You know it. If you're a good girl, I'll let you have some of my food," Casey responded.

"Oh…I can almost taste the ribs," Alex said.

"Me, too," Olivia agreed, taking a sip of Alex's drink.

Alex grinned. "Good, babe?"

"You betcha," Olivia answered, taking another sip. Alex reached for Olivia's drink and took a sip of hers in return.

In about 20 minutes, the waitress returned with their entrées. Olivia immediately dug into her ribs. Alex looked at her and laughed. "Wow, babe. You really are hungry, aren't you?"

"Damn right," Olivia said around her mouthful. "And I'm sure I'll have plenty of room left for dessert."

"Speaking of which, what do you guys wanna order?" Casey asked.

"That Cinnabon cheesecake looks _really_ good," Serena said.

"I wholeheartedly agree," Alex responded, dipping a fry in some Jack Daniel's sauce.

"Fine with me," Olivia said.

Serena looked at Casey. "Are you gonna be the oddball again or do you want the cheesecake, too?"

Casey smirked and scooped up some more rice. "I guess I'll have to follow the crowd this time."

After they'd finished eating, they placed the order for their cheesecake and the waitress removed their dinner plates. When the waitress returned with their desserts, they all dug in.

"This is divine," Alex said.

"Oh, I know," Casey agreed. "My taste buds are in paradise."

Olivia scooped up some cheesecake on her fork and fed some to Alex. A little of the cream cheese icing started to drip down Alex's chin. Olivia reached out to catch it and sucked it off her finger while Alex fed her some of her cheesecake.

"Geez, guys. I hope you have better luck feeding each other wedding cake!" Casey joked.

Olivia waggled her eyebrows and took another bite of cheesecake while Alex said, "Hey, we all know practice makes perfect."

After they finished dessert, Casey paid for her food and Serena's while Olivia paid for hers and Alex's. Then they put on their coats and walked out to Casey's car again.

"So full," Olivia groaned, falling over and laying her head in Alex's lap.

"Me, too," Serena agreed. "I'm not gonna be able to _move_ anymore tonight."

Casey laughed. "You just want an excuse for me to carry you around," she teased.

"Damn! You've got me all figured out!" Serena replied.

"Don't drop her, Casey," Alex teased.

"I'd never drop my snookums," Casey replied, leaning over and giving Serena a big kiss on the cheek. Serena blushed and giggled in response.

In a little over a half hour, they arrived at Olivia's house. "You guys be good tonight, ok?" Serena said, smiling.

"We promise," Alex said.

"Bye, girls. Dinner was a lot of fun," Olivia added.

"I agree. We'll have to do it again soon," Casey said, rolling up her window and honking.

After Casey and Serena drove off, Olivia unlocked her door and pulled Alex inside. "And now we're gonna have a lot more fun."

Alex giggled and shut the door behind her. "I'm looking forward to that, Miss Benson."


	26. Unravel

**Chapter 26: Unravel**

It was Thursday of the following week and Alex was happy that she and Olivia hadn't had anymore trouble from Abbie. However, that was quickly about to change. Alex was just about to go into her 5th period classroom when Abbie came running up to her. "Hey, Alex. Can I talk to you?" she asked.

Alex groaned and rolled her eyes. She noticed that Abbie had a folder in her hand. "Why? And is that a case file?"

"Yeah. Listen, I need to talk to you about Olivia," Abbie insisted.

Alex folded her arms. "You just don't give up, do you? It's funny that you waited right until Liv left. I am not gonna stand here and listen to you badmouth my girlfriend." She turned and started walking into Constitutional Law.

"Alex, please. It's important!" Abbie called out.

Alex turned back around. She walked back to Abbie. "Make it quick."

"Here," Abbie said, nervously passing the file to her. "But don't show this to Olivia. It'll only upset her. I gotta go!"

Alex grabbed her arm and forced her to turn back around. "What is this?"

"Just read it. I seriously have to go! I'm gonna be late!" Abbie replied, breaking free and running down the hall.

Alex walked into class and took her seat beside Serena. Putting on her glasses, she discreetly opened the file and saw it labeled _Benson, Serena_. Skimming it quickly, she saw that the file contained details of a rape—and not just any rape, but that of Olivia's mother. "Oh my god," she mouthed silently.

"Hey, is that the file you're covering today? You look pretty shaken up about it," Serena noted.

Alex was annoyed to have her concentration broken. She quickly shook her head and took off her glasses. "Oh…uh, no."

"Is that what Abbie gave you?" Casey asked.

Alex was caught off guard by her question. She didn't know that anyone had seen Abbie give it to her. "Uh…yeah," she answered distractedly, closing it quickly.

"What is it?" Serena asked.

_Dammit, must you guys be so fucking nosy? _Alex thought. "It's nothing, guys."

Serena and Casey looked at each other. "What's up with Alex?" Casey mouthed. Serena shrugged.

Throughout class, she read parts of the file when she had the chance. Olivia's mother had been raped on her way home from the campus library late one night. She was taking the shortcut she always took and was halfway through when something hit her from behind, knocking her unconscious. When she came to, she was on a landing below street level and a man with sideburns was on top of her. He proceeded to push up her dress and force himself on her. It scared Alex knowing that she and Olivia would soon be entering college and would probably be walking around campus late some nights. She almost lost her lunch when she saw pictures of the bruises on Serena Benson's face, neck, arms, and thighs. When she had finally gotten through the entire file, it took every ounce of strength in her to hold back her tears that were threatening to spill forth onto her desk.

After 5th period ended, Alex walked up to Abbie's locker. "How the hell did you get this?"

"My uncle's a prosecutor. I was in his office and it was one of the files on his desk."

"But why would he have an 18 year old rape file on his desk? Are there new leads?" Alex asked, lowering her voice.

"I dunno. I couldn't ask him because he'd know I'd been snooping. I was just supposed to organize them by case number for him, but a page of that one flew out. The name caught my attention."

"How many people have you told about this?" Alex demanded.

"Only you," Abbie said.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone else!" Alex begged.

"Ok, Alex," Abbie responded. "Bring it back to me tomorrow."

"Ok," Alex said, turning around and quickly heading to Drawing. She had no clue how she was going to keep this information from Olivia but she was determined to try her hardest. Olivia had been through so much already and the last thing she needed was to read intimate details of her mother's rape.

* * *

Olivia wondered why Alex had been acting strange all afternoon. She knew something was wrong, but Alex hadn't discussed anything with her yet. _Hopefully she'll open up to me soon_, she thought. It was unsettling to her when something was bothering Alex. _Ah well, maybe doing some work will take my mind off it_. Sighing deeply, she got off Alex's bed and went to join her downstairs in the kitchen.

"Hey Alex, I forgot my Anatomy book, can I borrow yours?"

"Sure," Alex said, getting out slices of rye bread. "It's in my bag."

"Ok, thanks," Olivia said, coming over and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before bounding back upstairs.

When Olivia was back in her room, she reached into Alex's Longchamp bag and pulled out her Anatomy book. A file partially came out behind it. She wrinkled her brow when she saw it was a case file. _Perhaps a case for Petrovsky's class?_ she wondered. She opened the file and felt her stomach drop. A sour taste hit the back of her throat and she had to try hard to fight down the waves of nausea that ensued. She couldn't believe Alex could ever betray her in this way. She grabbed the file and ran downstairs faster than she ever had before.

"Alex, why the _fuck_ do you have my mom's case file in your bag?" Olivia demanded, storming into the kitchen angrily.

Alex almost dropped the knife that she was using to slice the sandwiches in half. She had never seen Olivia so angry with her and it scared her. Olivia was trembling all over and there were tears in her eyes. Alex quickly went over and tried to wrap her arms around her but Olivia harshly pushed her back. Alex's own eyes quickly began tearing up. "Liv…I can explain. It's not what you think," she began nervously.

"I can't believe you would do this to me," Olivia cried.

"Liv, let me explain!" Alex repeated. It tore her heart out to see such a look of hurt and betrayal reflected in Olivia's eyes.

"Fuck this. I'm leaving," Olivia said, turning around and storming out.

"Liv, please don't go!" Alex pleaded, grabbing her arm.

Olivia yanked her arm out of her grasp. "Don't touch me," she growled, not even bothering to wipe away the flood of tears streaming from her eyes.

"Fine, then I'm coming with you!" Alex insisted.

"No, you are not. Leave me alone," Olivia insisted nastily, storming back upstairs to Alex's room to get her things. Alex grabbed onto her leg. "Let fucking go, Alexandra!" Olivia screamed, breaking free of her again.

Alex was relentless. She grabbed onto Olivia's shoulders and pleaded, "Liv, please! You gotta let me explain! Just listen to me! 5 minutes! That's all it'll take."

"I'll give you 5 all right—5 seconds to get the hell away from me! Move the fuck outta my way," Olivia demanded, roughly shoving her back again and storming out the bedroom door.

"Liv!" Alex screamed, the tears freely flowing down her face and dripping onto the carpet. She couldn't bear to see the intense anger etched into Olivia's face.

Olivia turned around on the stairs and pointed her finger accusingly at Alex's face. "I don't want you anywhere near me right now! You stay away from me!" She hurried down the stairs and ran to the front door, slamming it on her way out.

_Shit_, Alex thought. _I have to make her understand!_ Neither of her parents was home yet, so she ran upstairs to their bedroom and grabbed the keys to the Bentley.

About 15 minutes later, she was in Olivia's driveway. Luckily for Alex, Olivia had been in such a rage that she'd forgotten to lock the door on her way in. Alex went in and headed straight for her bedroom.

Olivia was shocked to see Alex standing in her doorway. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded. "I thought I told you to leave me alone."

"Liv…don't be angry with me! I didn't do anything wrong!"

Olivia's mouth dropped open. She walked over to Alex. "Are you fucking kidding me, Alex? You had my mom's case file in your fucking shit and you have the nerve to tell me you didn't do anything wrong? You had _no_ motherfucking right to sneak around behind my back and play investigator!"

"Liv, don't talk to me that way," Alex said in a small voice, tears streaming down her face.

Olivia continued to glare at her. "Grow the hell up, Alex. You play with fire, you get burned."

Alex tried to stroke Olivia's face but she slapped her hand away. "Baby, you gotta believe me. I'd never betray you like that!"

"It's a little too late for that," Olivia retorted nastily. "This is the lowest shit you've ever done, Alex," she continued, shaking her head in disbelief. "I wouldn't talk about my dad, so you had to go snooping."

"But Liv! I didn't sneak around at all! Abbie gave me this after you walked me to Petrovsky's class! She wouldn't tell me what it was, she just told me it was important and that I needed to read it! Then she ran off! I didn't know what it was until I opened it. Liv, I swear to you! You know I'd never do something like this to you!"

Olivia looked into Alex's desperate, pleading eyes and knew she'd never lie to her. "Alex, did you tell anyone what the file said?" she asked in a softer tone.

"No. I swear on my life!"

Olivia clenched her jaw. "Great, so that bitch knows my mom was raped. That's the last thing I need."

"I made her promise she wouldn't tell anyone else, Liv."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Right, Alex. Her word is about as good as a two week old ham sandwich."

"Liv…don't worry about a thing. It will all be ok," Alex assured her, reaching out to touch her arm. "I promise. Don't let her faze you."

"That's easy for you to say, Alex. Your life has always been perfect," Olivia snapped. "You don't have to wake up every morning knowing the only reason you're here is because your mom got raped."

Alex felt her heart breaking for Olivia. She didn't deserve to carry so much pain. "Liv, I can't imagine what you're going through, but my life is not perfect either!"

"Oh please, Alex," she responded, rolling her eyes. "Your parents are filthy fucking rich, you get everything you want, your parents love you. You don't know what it's like to constantly feel unwanted, to feel that your own existence is a horrible mistake. I'm lucky I'm even here and my mom constantly reminds me when she's drunk about how she regrets that I am!"

Alex grabbed Olivia and held on tight. Tears were streaming down her face as much as they were Olivia's. "Baby, I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. I don't care how or why you got here, I'm just glad you're here. I wouldn't trade you for the world. And I can't think of anyone else who is more deserving of life than you!"

Olivia pulled back from her. "Alex, my father is a _rapist_. It's not like saying 'oh, my Dad's an alcoholic' or 'my Dad's a gambler.' Those are all things that can be changed; but I can't change that my dad's a rapist. I don't see how you could love me after knowing that. That's why I never told you," she sad sadly, a sob escaping her throat.

"Liv, my love for you is unconditional! I don't care who your father is! That person is not you. You are a beautiful, loving person who has brought so much joy and meaning to my life. I don't know where I'd be without you."

"Save it for the Hallmark cards, Alex," Olivia snapped.

Alex sighed. "Liv, why are you being so difficult?"

Olivia glared at her. "Well, if you don't like my attitude, you're more than welcome to leave."

"Liv, stop taking your anger out on me! I'm on your side!"

Olivia laughed bitterly and walked back over to her nightstand to pick up her drink again. She closed her eyes as the dark liquid burned down her throat, burning away a fraction of the pain she felt. "Whatever, Alex."

Alex stormed over and took the drink out of Olivia's hand. Olivia's eyes flew open in shock and anger and she reached for the glass again, but Alex kept it beyond her reach. "Liv, stop this! I'm not gonna let you turn into your mother over this!"

Olivia stared at Alex coldly. "What exactly are you saying, Alex?"

"Like your mom, you're drinking to drown your pain. And I'm not gonna let you. We'll get through this together."

"Alex, give me back my fucking drink."

Alex would not be deterred by the glare on Olivia's face or the menacing tone of her voice. "No, Liv." She poured the rest of the rum on the floor.

Olivia looked at her in disbelief. "Alex, you fucking bitch! You stained my carpet!"

"Liv, that's not important. I'll clean it."

"Alex, this is not your house! You can get away with that shit at your house because you have your little maid to clean up after you, but around here I have to pull my own damn weight!"

"Olivia, I told you I would clean it!"

"Fuck this. I'll just get some more," she growled, heading for the door.

Alex stood in front of the door and spread her arms out across it. "No, you've had enough already."

"Move, dammit!" Olivia grabbed her around the waist and tried to move her, but Alex was determined to stand her ground. She struggled against her as Olivia tried to tear her away from the door.

"No, Liv!" she yelled, trying to push her back. She grabbed her shirt.

"Alex, if you rip my fucking shirt, I swear you'll regret it!" Olivia yelled, trying to tear Alex's fingers away.

"Liv, please! Don't do this!" Alex begged, grabbing Olivia's shoulders as soon as Olivia reclaimed her shirt.

Olivia finally managed to pull her away from the door and shouted, "Don't try to stop me either!" Pulling the door open, she began storming down the hallway toward the kitchen. She was shocked when Alex ran past her. "Where are you going?" she called out after her.

"Don't worry about it!" Alex shouted. She flung open the cabinets and found the bottle of rum. Olivia came in and saw the bottle in her hand.

"Alex, you better not pour that down the drain!"

"Oh, that's not what I plan on doing," Alex said as she threw the bottle down onto the floor. The glass shattered into tiny pieces and the dark liquid spread all over the floor.

Olivia stared in disbelief. "Alex! How fucking dare you!"

"It's for your own good, Liv!"

"Alex, my mom is gonna kill you."

"She'll be better off without it, too!" Alex shouted, brushing past Olivia and heading back to her room.

Olivia followed her angrily back to her room. "Who the hell do you think you are? You can't just come into my house playing little miss righteous and destroying stuff that doesn't fit into your little social rules of etiquette!"

Alex turned around to face her. "You know this has nothing to do with that! This is for your own safety!"

"Alex, one little glass of rum isn't gonna do any damage! You're being paranoid."

"Yeah, I bet that's what your mom said, too!"

Olivia walked over to her and stood face to face. "You don't know a damn thing about my mother."

Alex instantly regretted what she had said. "Liv, I'm sorry. Listen, I wasn't trying to offend you. I shouldn't have said that."

"Get the hell out of my house, Alex."

"No, Liv," Alex said, continuing to stare into her eyes.

"I said, get the _fuck_ out of my house," Olivia repeated.

"I'm gonna go clean the kitchen. Hopefully when I get back you'll be done acting like a petulant child. Move out of my way, Olivia." She pushed her to the side and headed for the door.

Alex was almost at the door when Olivia screamed, "Fuck you, Alex!" She turned around just as Olivia picked up her lamp, ripped the cord from the socket, and threw it at the wall. It shattered against the wall and the pieces fell onto the floor not too far from Alex.

Alex began trembling uncontrollably as the tears of shock, hurt, and fear began streaming down her face. She slid down onto the floor and wrapped her arms around herself. Olivia looked at the shards of the lamp and then her eyes met Alex's fearful ones. She rushed over, sat down beside Alex, and tried to hold her in her arms but Alex pushed her away. "No! Get away from me! Don't touch me!"

"Sweetie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said, her voice full of remorse and regret.

Alex shook her head. "No, sorry's not enough. Liv, I can't do this anymore."

Olivia couldn't believe her ears. Her heart dropped into her stomach. _No, this isn't happening. This isn't happening! _she thought. "What? You're not…you're not breaking up with me are you?"

"You could've hurt me, Liv. Something you promised you'd never do again after you grabbed my arm that time."

"Baby, I was careful not to hurt you. You were never in any danger."

"Never in any danger?" Alex asked incredulously. "Liv, you threw a lamp that came whizzing right past my head at 70 miles an hour!"

"Alex, stop exaggerating. It was more than three feet away from you."

"I can't stay with someone who acts this way, Liv. You need to talk to someone about this."

"Alex, I don't need a shrink! I just need my girlfriend!" Olivia said, sobbing.

"I tried to be there for you! I told you I loved you, Liv. I told you I'd never stop. I told you I didn't care that your father was a rapist—that nothing mattered but you and our love. But that wasn't enough for you. You had to pull one of your dramatic, angst-ridden, 'woe is I' performances anyway."

"Sweetie, I'm sorry. I lost control," Olivia said, her eyes pleading for forgiveness.

Alex frowned. "Liv, that's exactly your problem. You lose control. And you don't think about the consequences of your actions until after the fact."

Olivia reached out to try to stroke Alex's face but Alex pulled away. "Baby, please."

"No, Liv. I'm tired of being your human punching bag! I know you're hurting, that you've had to deal with some pretty rough stuff, but that doesn't give you any right to take it all out on me! Liv, I'm a person, too! I have feelings and you just don't fucking care! Because you're hurting, you lash out at me and make me hurt, too! Why do you do this, Liv? Why do you wait until things are perfect and then you just unravel without warning?" Alex sobbed.

Olivia pulled Alex into her arms and smoothed a hand over her hair. She was horribly ashamed of how she had behaved and of all the terrible things that had recklessly flown out of her mouth. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry. I do care about your feelings, baby. I just got so caught up in my own. I never meant to hurt you."

"Yes, you did!" Alex accused, pulling back out of Olivia's reach. "All those mean things you said. You made me feel like complete shit!"

"Sweetie, I was just so angry. Those were never my intentions. You say all this as if I do this a lot!"

"It doesn't have to be a lot! One time is one time too many! What if that lamp had hit me? What if one of the shards cut me? Is that what you want? The girl you're supposed to love dead or bleeding on the floor?"

Olivia sobbed even harder. "N-no. You know I'd never want anything to happen to you! You're my whole life!"

"Well then you need to remember that before you blow up at me!" She held up her hand and showed Olivia her ring. "You made a promise to protect me. But how can you protect me from others when you can't even protect me from yourself?"

Olivia took her open hand and pressed her ring to her lips. She then kissed the palm of her hand. Her tears fell on the ring. "Oh, baby. Please don't give up on me. I swear to you that I never would've thrown anything if I thought you were in danger. I just wanted to let off some steam. I threw it at the wall, not the door, baby."

Alex sighed. "Well Liv, the next time you wanna blow off some steam, be sure to let me know so I don't get caught up in the tornado that's your emotions." She started to get up off the floor.

Olivia pulled her back down and clung to her for dear life. She was almost to the point of hysterics. "Please don't leave me! Please!"

"Liv, come on. Let go of me. I don't wanna talk to you right now."

"No, please! I _need_ you! You're all I have! I can't live without you!" Olivia pleaded desperately.

Alex looked into Olivia's wild, frightened eyes and cautiously smoothed her hand over her hair. She knew she had to temporarily put her own pain aside for the sake of being strong for Olivia. "It's ok, Liv. I can't live without you either. Stop crying. Shh, it'll be ok." She kissed her on the forehead. "I'm sorry for upsetting you, baby."

"Alex, I love you so much!" Olivia cried.

"I love you, too. Come on," she replied, trying to pull Olivia up with her. "Let's get up and get in bed, ok?" Olivia nodded and let Alex lead her over to the bed. Then Alex went in the bathroom, ran a washcloth under some warm water, and came back to Olivia. Getting in bed beside her, she wiped her face and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"It's so hard, Alex," Olivia said, sniffling against Alex's chest. Alex reached for more tissues while Olivia continued, "I mean, feeling like your mom hates you. That every time she looks at you, she's reminded of what happened to her and she sees her rapist in you."

"You're nothing like your father. Genes are not always a precursor to violence."

"Well, others would disagree. What if I turn out to be just like my father?"

"You won't. His genes have nothing to do with your psyche."

"Then why do I feel like such shit? Like I'm somehow responsible for my mother's pain?"

Alex shifted her position on the bed and rubbed Olivia's back. The gentle motions of the water bed were soothing to them both. "Because she guilt trips you, Liv. You may not be able to stop her angry outbursts but you can control how you let them affect you. We say things in anger we don't mean, so your mom's probably just lashing out because she's hurting so bad inside—not because she actually regrets having you here. I'm sure she hates what happened to her, but she loves you and is glad that something good came out of something so terrible. Your father is the one responsible for her pain, not you. But whenever she drinks, whenever she's mean to you, whenever she reminds you of how you were conceived, just think of me and how much I love you—no matter what, ok?"

Olivia nodded. She smiled through her tears. "Ok. I'll try."

"I'll never use your conception or birth against you, Liv. I promise," Alex swore. "I know it's not your fault."

"Thank you," Olivia said quietly. "I just wish I had no part of him in me."

"All you received from him is strictly physical, Liv. You're nothing like him mentally or emotionally."

"But…rapists are violent. I get angry, I lose control, even get a little violent sometimes. How do you know it's not linked to my father?"

"Liv…we all have our breaking points. You react because of the things you experience, not because you're wired to act that way. Don't ever compare yourself to your father. Just because he's violent and committed a heinous crime does it mean his father was a rapist, too? No. I mean, think of how many criminals came from so-called perfect families? I know you, Liv. You have a conscience. Your father didn't. You're a really caring person. I've never had anyone care for me the way you do."

Olivia was pleased that Alex was so understanding, that she cared so much about her regardless of her history. "I…I just didn't want you to find out this way."

"I know, but I wish you had told me, Liv. You know you can tell me anything. I didn't wanna find out this way, either. When Abbie gave me the file and told me not to tell you because it would upset you, I had no idea what the contents were. I mean, I knew it had to be bad but I never imagined it would be _this_ bad."

"My mother can't find out about this. I have to keep Abbie from talking," Olivia insisted, looking frightened again.

"Liv, when I asked Abbie how she got it, she said she was organizing some folders in her uncle's office and part of the file slipped out and she snuck and read it. If she tells anyone, then she'll just be shooting herself in the foot. She broke the law by reading the file without authorization and even more so by stealing it."

Olivia was secretly relieved. "Well, what are you gonna do, sweetie? I don't want you in any trouble," she replied, playing with Alex's fingers.

"I'll give it to my dad and tell him Abbie snuck it out of her uncle's office. He'll take care of everything."

Olivia forced a smile. "Did you really mean all you said earlier? About not trading me for the world and not thinking of anyone more deserving of life?"

"Yes, every bit of it," Alex said, looking deeply into Olivia's eyes.

"But Alex, what would you do if you were raped and found out you were pregnant?"

"I…I don't know, Liv. No one knows what they'd do in a situation like that unless they're put in it."

"My mother made a choice. If the same thing happened to me, morning after pill—no question," Olivia responded.

Alex pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead. "Everything will be ok, got it?"

"Ok," Olivia said, smiling.

"How much of the rum did you drink before I got here?" Alex asked cautiously. She didn't want to upset Olivia again and she didn't want her to think she was judging her, but she had to know.

Olivia shrugged. "A few swigs."

"How often do you drink? Alone like this, I mean."

Olivia sighed deeply. "Honestly, this was only the second time. The first time was after I got home the night that whole fiasco with Nick went down. I was so depressed; I thought I'd lost you for good. So I drank some of Mom's scotch. She bitched me out about it the next morning because I accidentally left the bottle out. All other times are social. Like when we're out at a party and everyone's drinking."

"You never told me about that," Alex said quietly. "From now on, no secrets from each other. Ok?"

Olivia nodded. "Ok." She ran a finger up and down Alex's arm and asked shyly, "Can I have a kiss?"

"Sure," Alex replied. She leaned in to meet Olivia's lips. She was surprised when Olivia desperately ravaged her mouth as soon as their lips touched. The kiss was almost suffocating. Olivia sucked on Alex's tongue as if she was summoning all Alex's strength and love to survive, to rid her soul of the pain.

"Thank you for that," Olivia said sincerely. "I really needed it."

"You're welcome," Alex responded, trying to catch her breath. She rested her forehead against Olivia's and smiled. "You're precious, you know that?"

Olivia smiled in return. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I should go clean the kitchen before your mom gets home," Alex replied.

"Ok. I'll help you."

After cleaning up the kitchen, they went back to Olivia's room. "You wanna spend the night at my place?" Alex asked.

"Sure."

"Ok. I need to get the car back before my parents get home and notice it's missing. You can tail me."

Olivia gave her a lopsided grin. "I was wondering how you got here so fast. You took your parents' car?"

Alex gave a little laugh. "Yeah."

"Which one?"

Alex grinned. "Can't tell ya."

Olivia got up and started running for the front door. Alex ran behind her squealing. "Liv, no! Get back here!"

Olivia opened the door and ran out to the driveway. She stopped dead in her tracks. "Alex, are you serious? You took the Bentley?"

Alex blushed deeply. "Well…yeah."

"Yeah, we need to get this back right now before your dad can put in a stolen car report!"

Alex laughed. "Oh, Liv. It's not that serious."

"Wow, I've never been in one of these before!" Olivia said, getting in the driver's side.

Alex shook her head and laughed again. "If you're a good girl, maybe I'll take you for a spin one day. Come on. Get out, little explorer."

Olivia got out and wrapped her arms around Alex's waist. "Maybe you'll get one of these for your birthday."

"I'm actually kinda leaning toward a Range Rover."

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "Well then. I'd like to do a little roving in _that_."

Alex hit her arm. "Liv!"

"Kissy?" Olivia asked hopefully.

"Sure," Alex responded, leaning in to kiss her. Olivia kissed her back full force. After a little while, Alex pulled back for air. "Liv, you tryna suck my lips off my face or what?"

Olivia smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I just love kissing you."

They went back to Olivia's room to clean up the lamp and get their things. Alex was brushing the shards into the dustpan when Olivia took it from her and said, "No, baby. I'll do it." If Alex cut herself on one of the shards, it would solely be her fault and she couldn't bear the thought of her own recklessness hurting Alex.

As they were driving back to Alex's house, Olivia rested her head in Alex's lap. Alex reached a hand down from time to time to stroke her hair comfortingly. "I love you, Liv."

"I love you, too, Alex."


	27. Aftershock

**Chapter 27: Aftershock**

Alex came out of the bathroom from brushing her teeth to find that Olivia had on her pajamas. "Liv, get out of them right now!" she demanded.

Olivia giggled and twirled around in Alex's Tweety pajamas. "You'll have to catch me first," she said, running off.

Alex chased her around her room. "Take them off, Liv!"

Olivia stopped dead in her tracks, causing Alex to run right into the back of her. "Haha, fooled ya!" She shook her butt at Alex.

"Liv, why do you have on my tweeties?"

Olivia shrugged. "Cuz I wanted a change of wardrobe?"

"You're not gonna fart in them are you?"

Olivia laughed. "No. Why? Do you want me to?" She turned around again and bent over. "Although I think I can squeeze one out."

"Oh my god, Liv! You better not!"

"And guess what? I don't have on anything under these. So Tweety saw my putty tat! In fact, he's looking at it right now!"

Alex screamed, a look of pure horror on her face. "Liv! You've scarred Tweety for life!"

"I wonder do they make Tweety boxers," Olivia teased.

"They better not!"

"I'll have to get me a pair," Olivia continued. She pouted at Alex and said, "Please, pretty please. Can I wear them?"

Alex sighed and got in bed. "Ok, Liv. You can wear them to bed."

Olivia smiled happily and cuddled up to Alex. "The pokies love Tweety."

"Tweety's gonna have nightmares."

Olivia pulled Alex into her arms and kissed her. "I'm gonna be having very _sweet_ dreams."

Alex shook her head. "Oh, Liv."

"I wish we didn't have to go to school tomorrow," Olivia pouted.

"Yeah, me too." Alex yawned. "I'm sleepy."

"Me, too," Olivia replied, laying her head on Alex's chest. "Thanks for standing by me."

Alex smiled. "It's my job."

* * *

Olivia woke up a few hours later to find that Alex was no longer beside her. She heard muffled crying from the bathroom. Getting out of bed, she walked over to Alex's bathroom door.

"Alex, sweetie. Are you ok?" Olivia asked, knocking softly.

"I'll be fine," Alex mumbled, frantically swiping at her tears.

"Let me in, sweetie."

"No, I just need a few."

"Alex, please?"

Alex sighed. She knew Olivia wasn't going to go away until she opened the door. She got up and unlocked the door then reclaimed her spot on the floor.

Olivia looked at the pile of tissues on the floor. She didn't even have to ask because she knew she was the cause of Alex's tears. "Oh, sweetheart…"

Alex refused to make eye contact. Olivia slid down on the floor beside her and wrapped her arms around her, but Alex's tears kept falling. Olivia lifted her chin and forced her to look into her eyes. She saw the raw pain in their cerulean depths. "It breaks my heart to see you cry."

"It just hurts so much. I just…I just can't get past all those cruel things you said to me today! You swore at me, you called me a bitch, you made fun of me for being rich. How is that ok? I expect it from others but not from the love of my life. I didn't ask for my parents either. I try to be strong for you, but you just break me down in the process!"

Olivia felt even worse than she had before. "It's not ok, it's not. God babe, I'm so sorry."

"You don't understand, Liv. If I could trade places with you, I would," Alex sobbed.

"I'm sorry I made you feel so bad, sweetie. Will you forgive me, Aly? I want us to move past this."

"I-I'm trying to get past it. I keep telling myself that you were just angry, that that's not who you are 99 percent of the time, but it still hurts! So fucking much."

Olivia wiped her own tears away. "Sweetie…if I could go back and erase all the pain I caused you, I would. I swear. You know that, right?"

Alex nodded and brushed away stray tears. "I know," she said almost inaudibly.

Olivia turned Alex's face toward her again and softly kissed her lips. "Let me make love to you."

"No," Alex said defiantly, folding her arms.

"Please," Olivia pleaded, staring into her eyes and stroking the inside of her thigh.

"Stop trying to seduce me with your eyes, Liv."

"I wanna get your mind off this."

Alex pushed Olivia's hand away from her thigh. "Liv, you don't get it! You can't fix everything with sex!"

"Then how do I make this right? I want us to be ok again. I want _you_ to be ok again," Olivia responded, desperate to do anything that would make Alex forgive her.

"I…I don't know," Alex responded.

"I don't want you still mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you, Liv. I'm just…hurt."

Olivia unbuttoned the first few buttons to Alex's pajama top and massaged her hand over her heart. "Tell me where it hurts."

Alex smiled for the first time since she'd been in the bathroom. She loved Olivia's ability to make her smile even when she was determined to wallow in self-pity. "All over," she pouted.

Olivia continued to massage. "Feel better yet?"

"A little," Alex said, smiling shyly.

Olivia pressed her lips to the warm skin over Alex's heart. "I love my Aly Poo," she mumbled against her chest.

Alex laughed in spite of herself. "I thought we agreed on _Alikins_."

"I love my Alikins, too," Olivia teased.

"Will you hold me?" Alex asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Olivia said, pulling Alex into her lap. She tilted her face and rubbed her nose against Alex's as Alex wrapped her legs around her waist.

"Will you rub my heart again?"

"My pleasure," Olivia said, starting to massage again. After a few minutes, she asked, "So does my Aly Poo forgive me?"

Alex looked down into Olivia's deep chocolate pools and felt her heart melt. "Oh, Liv. You make my insides all gooey."

Olivia giggled. "That was the plan. So do you forgive me?"

"Yes," Alex said, softly kissing her lips.

Olivia grinned from ear to ear. "Come on, let's get some sleep."

They went back in Alex's bedroom and climbed into her bed. Alex cuddled up to Olivia again and pulled the comforter up over them. "You're soft." She looked down at her pajamas Olivia was wearing. "I see Tweety serves you well."

Olivia chuckled. "I guess he does. These are mighty comfy."

"So are you," Alex replied. She looked at the bedside clock and groaned. "We have about three hours before we have to get up. Let's see who can fall asleep first."

"I bet you will."

"No, I bet you will!" Alex protested.

Olivia yawned. "I just might."

"I like watching you sleep," Alex told her.

"Do you now?" Olivia asked.

"You betcha."

Olivia wrapped her arms tighter around Alex. "I love you, Aly Poo."

"And I love you too, Livvykins."

Olivia grinned. "Livvykins?"

"Yes," Alex said, grinning widely.

Olivia lightly nibbled on her bottom lip. "You know…only you can get away with calling me something like that."

"Don't you just love my terms of endearment?"

"I do," Olivia replied.

All of a sudden, Alex's stomach growled. Olivia laughed while Alex blushed. "Is someone hungry?"

"I guess all that crying worked up an appetite," Alex joked.

Olivia's smile slightly faded. "No more tears, ok? I hate to see sadness in your beautiful eyes."

"I hate to see it in yours, too," Alex responded. She got out of bed and continued, "I'm gonna go get us a snack. Don't fall asleep on me, ok?"

"Ok," Olivia said, smiling again.

When Alex came back, she had a plate of chocolate chip cookies and two glasses of milk. She handed Olivia one glass and carefully got in bed. Olivia dipped a cookie in some milk and took a big bite. Alex smirked as she watched Olivia wolf down cookie after cookie. "You know…for someone who talks about me being hungry, I've only managed to grab two from my little cookie monster."

"I can't help it! These are so good!" Olivia replied with her mouth full.

Alex bit into another cookie. "Glad you like them."

After Alex had taken the plate and glasses back downstairs, she resumed her spot next to Olivia. "Good night, sweetie."

"Night, baby," Olivia replied, reaching over and turning out the lamp. She then placed her hand under Alex's top and rubbed her stomach gently until she heard the soft, even sounds of her breathing, letting her know that sleep had taken over.


	28. Intervention

**Chapter 28: Intervention**

Olivia brought the fetal pig from the back of the classroom and placed it on the lab bench. "Aww Alex, isn't she so cute?" she cooed.

Alex wrinkled up her nose and moved back some. "Ew, no, Liv! Gross!"

"She's so cute I could just kiss her!" Olivia continued, holding the fetal pig up in front of her face.

"Liv, if you kiss that thing, I swear, your lips will never touch mine again!"

Olivia smirked. "We have to name her!" she exclaimed excitedly. "What should we name her?"

"Uh…I dunno. Porky?" Alex answered sarcastically.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Alex."

"Let's name her Abbie," Alex joked.

Olivia gave her a look. "Then I'll end up hating her. No way."

"Ok…well what about Ginger?" Alex suggested.

Olivia shrugged. "Sounds fine to me." She picked her up again. "Hey, Ginger. You're so adorable!"

"Liv, you're scaring me," Alex said.

"Come on, hold her!" Olivia insisted.

Alex backed up some more. "She absolutely reeks of formaldehyde!" she complained. "I swear I'm never eating bacon again."

Olivia chuckled. "Oh come on, babe. It won't be that bad."

Alex sighed. "If you say so." She quickly moved her lab notebook so the pig would not drip on it. "Liv, be careful! I don't want formaldehyde and pig juices on my notebook!"

"Sorry, sorry," Olivia said, handing the pig over to Alex. She watched as a smile slowly spread across Alex's face as she held their pig. "See, you're really getting the hang of it, sweetie."

Alex grinned. "Hey, she's not so bad after all!" She looked at Olivia with a slight pout. "Do we really have to cut her open?"

"Well, not today. We're supposed to be just familiarizing ourselves with all the external anatomy," Olivia explained.

Alex grinned. "Well, listen to you. Sounding all scientific."

Olivia smiled. "Hey, I try." She turned a page in her lab manual. "Ok, it says to open the mouth and look at the oral cavity. Note the papillae on the tongue. So do the honors, babe."

Alex pried open the mouth of their fetal pig. "Boy, am I glad we have on gloves," she muttered.

"Sweetie, we're just touching her tongue and looking down her throat."

"Are you sure we don't have to cut her open at all today? Her mouth will only open so far."

"Yeah. We don't need to look any further. Now we need to identify the external ear, external nares, upper and lower eyelid, and then the third eyelid."

"That's what they call the nictitating membrane, right?" Alex asked.

"Right." Olivia read a little further in her manual and said, "Ok, so I guess we do have to do a little cutting. It says cut off the very tip of the umbilicus to more clearly see the umbilical arteries, umbilical vein, and allantoic duct."

"Ok," Alex said, picking up the scissors and cutting off the tip.

"And blue latex is veins and red is arteries," Olivia informed her.

Alex chuckled. "I know that, sweetie."

"Now it says to identify the mammary papillae. After we do that, we need to locate the digits, knee, ankle, and elbow and then I'll put her back up."

"What are we doing the rest of the period?"

"Looking at slides. The main cutting will start Monday," Olivia answered.

Alex smiled and looked at her. "You know, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather get stuck doing something as gross as dissecting a dead pig with but you."

Olivia smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

After they finished identifying the external anatomy, Olivia re-bagged the pig and then they cleaned up and began looking at slides. "What time are Casey and Serena coming over tomorrow?" Olivia asked.

Alex shrugged and switched out the slide under the microscope. She absently began writing notes in her notebook and then answered, "Oh…um, sometime in the afternoon."

Olivia opened up the second box of slides and said, "Cool. And you're sure we have the entire house to ourselves?"

"Well, Janice will be there until sometime in the evening. Then we'll be completely alone."

Olivia smiled and squeezed Alex's waist. "So does that mean we can all run naked to the jacuzzi?"

Smiling, Alex gave her a look. "Not quite, babe."

Olivia snapped her fingers and shook her head. "Damn! Ah well, it was worth a try."

Alex laughed. "You're so silly. Wanna go to Steak and Shake after school?"

Olivia grinned from ear to ear. "Mmm…a steakburger and Turtle Caramel Nut milkshake. My taste buds are about to orgasm."

Alex laughed again. "Good to know."

Olivia laughed, too. "I'd say."

After 7th period ended, Alex asked her, "Hey sweetie, will you put my things in my locker? I have to meet with Donnelly."

Olivia smiled and patted Alex's upper arm. "Sure, baby. I need to talk to Elliot anyway so I'll just drop these off on my way."

"Thanks, babe. You're a lifesaver," she said, kissing Olivia quickly on the lips before departing.

After Olivia put Alex's books in her locker, she went to find Elliot. "Hey, Elliot. Can I talk to you?" she asked.

"Sure, Liv. What's up?"

Olivia led him to a secluded corner of the commons area. "A total fucking nightmare happened!" she exclaimed, sitting down on a bench.

Elliot regarded her pensively as he sat down beside her. "Define nightmare. Did you and Alex have a fight?"

Olivia looked down briefly. "Well…yeah. But we're ok now. The nightmare is what caused it."

"Ok…so what is this nightmare?"

"Well…Abbie gave Alex the case file of my mom's rape," Olivia said dejectedly.

"Wait a minute, she did _what_?" Elliot interrupted.

"Yeah, my sentiments exactly. I found it in Alex's stuff, so I blew up at her because I thought she'd snuck around behind my back and got it herself."

"How the hell did Abbie get ahold of that?"

"Alex said Abbie told her she was in her uncle's office working and she found it there. He's a prosecutor. She claims she was organizing case files for him and a page of my mom's file just 'slipped out.'"

"Slipped out?" Elliot interrupted again. He shook his head. "Nuh uh. Shit like that doesn't just slip out. She purposely went digging."

"Oh, I'm sure of it. But anyway, she said Abbie came up to her right after I walked her to Petrovsky's class and told her she had something to show her but not to tell me because it would make me mad. Abbie wouldn't tell her what the file contained."

"Oh man, Liv. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too. I made a fool of myself yesterday in front of Alex."

"So what happened when you two fought?"

"Well, we were at her house when I saw she had the file in her bag, so I stormed downstairs and accused her of betraying me. She begged me to let her explain, but I didn't give her a chance; I just told her to leave me alone and left. Then she took her parents' car and followed me."

"So were you two good when she explained how she got the file?" Elliot asked hopefully.

Olivia sighed. "Well…not exactly. She started saying all these supportive things, telling me she loved me unconditionally and it didn't matter to her that my dad was a rapist because I was nothing like him. And she told me that I'd brought so much meaning into her life and she wouldn't trade me for the world, but I started snapping at her again because I was just so upset. I didn't want her to find out this way. Things just got worse from there."

"Worse how?"

"I…I was drinking. Alex took it and poured it out on the floor. I yelled at her, called her a bitch, and went to the kitchen to get some more rum but she beat me to it and took the bottle and smashed it against the floor. I was furious. She told me I was drinking to drown my pain like my mother and she wasn't gonna let me turn into her. I took that as an accusation. I told her she didn't know anything about my mom and she apologized and said she shouldn't have said that. But I was still on a rampage so I told her to get out. She refused to leave."

"So what did you do?" Elliot questioned.

"I…I lost it," Olivia said, shame clouding her voice.

"Liv…" Elliot said, looking at her and shaking his head slowly. "You didn't hurt her, did you?"

A tear fell down Olivia's cheek. "No. At least not physically."

"So what happened, Liv?" Elliot asked, rubbing her upper arm comfortingly.

"Well…she told me she was going to clean up the kitchen. She told me that she hoped I'd stop acting like a petulant child by the time she got back. She was walking to the door when I picked up a lamp and threw it at the wall."

Elliot dropped his hand to his side. "Liv, you threw a lamp at her? What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking. But I didn't throw the lamp at her. I threw it at the wall beside the door a few feet away from her. It shattered; she was so scared. She started crying. So did I."

"Liv, you have to control your anger. You can't do something that reckless," Elliot told her. "What if one of the pieces had hit her?"

"That's what she said," Olivia replied sadly. "I felt so bad, so guilty. But luckily she didn't get cut or anything."

"Liv, you really have to be careful."

"I know, El. She was crying and shaking in a ball on the floor; she looked so fragile. I ran over and tried to hold her, but she just flinched when I touched her. And to see the look on her face…my precious angel," Olivia said, brushing more tears away. "She almost left me, Elliot. But I begged her for another chance."

"So are you guys ok now?"

"Yeah. We talked some and then I spent the night at her place. But I woke up this morning and she was in the bathroom crying on the floor. Geez El, I promised I'd never hurt her again."

Elliot sighed. "Well Liv, everyone makes mistakes. That's what makes us human. But in the future, try to control your temper. You have a great thing going with Alex and you don't need anything driving a wedge between you."

"I know, El. I mean, I heard this little voice telling me to stop. You know, quit before I said or did something I regretted. I don't know why I didn't listen."

"We can't undo the past. But we can stop it from happening again in the future," he said, patting her on the back.

"I just don't know why Abbie won't stop trying. Why can't she just accept that Alex is happy with me and move on with her life?"

"Because she sees the two of you so happy and in love and she can't stand to see you guys have something she so desperately wants. Misery loves company."

"I can't believe Abbie would do this. I mean, the only reason she gave that file to Alex was to turn her against me—to make her think I was a monster just because of who my father was. We think that dumb bitch has finally left us alone and then she drags up this shit to use as ammunition."

"She had no right to do what she did. What did you do with the case file? Alex didn't give it back to Abbie, did she?"

"No. Alex gave it to her dad. He called her uncle last night and dropped the file off this morning."

"I hope her uncle roasts her ass."

"Yeah, me too. The good news is that Alex won't get in any trouble. I just wish there was something I could do to make her leave us alone."

Elliot patted Olivia's shoulder. "Why don't I have a little chat with her?"

Olivia grinned. "I have no objections."

He stood up. "Well, I'm gonna try to find her. Hopefully she hasn't already left. You catch up with Alex and I'll call you later and tell you how it went, ok?"

Olivia stood up beside him and gave him a warm hug. "Thanks, El. I don't know what I'd do without you. You're a great friend."

Elliot smiled and returned her embrace. "No problem. No one fucks with my best friend and gets away with it."

Olivia threw her bag over her shoulder and replied, "I really appreciate all this."

He ruffled her hair and said, "It's nothing. Now run and catch your girlfriend." Olivia laughed and ran off. Elliot watched her until she disappeared down the hall and then headed in the direction of Abbie's locker.

Abbie was putting stuff in her locker when Elliot came up to her. "What can I do for you, Elliot?"

He folded his arms and fixed her with a menacing stare. "Well, for one you could stop harassing Liv and Alex."

Abbie laughed. "I'm not doing anything to either of them."

"Don't pull that shit with me, Abbie. You know exactly what you did. But using Olivia's mom to do your dirty work? A woman who was violated in the most perverse way ever? I never thought that even scum of the Earth like yourself would do something like that."

Abbie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Your heart is bleeding all over my shirt."

"You're a sick fuck, you know that? What does Lexie see in you anyway?"

"Whatever, Elliot."

"Olivia has a lot of self control dealing with bitches like you."

Abbie scoffed. "Since when?"

"Since she didn't beat the crap outta ya for the lowdown shit you pulled."

"Oh please. She doesn't scare me. I'd have her arrested before she could raise her fist. Maybe you or Alex will be there to post bail." She grinned wickedly. "Or better yet, maybe that won't be necessary. They do send kids who fight at school to Juvenile these days."

Elliot stepped right up to her. "If you do anything else to hurt my best friend or her girlfriend, you'll fucking regret it. And you can quote me on that," he growled.

"Are you threatening me, Elliot?" Abbie asked.

"Just stay away from Olivia and Alex," he replied, pointing a finger at her face. "Everyone's tired of your bullshit."

"None of this is any of your business," Abbie retorted.

"It's my business if you're doing stupid shit to my friends," Elliot responded, raising his voice. Then in a lower tone, he continued, "I wonder what Lexie would think if she knew how much of your free time you spent trying to get in some other chick's pants…"

Abbie glared at him. "Don't you dare go near my girl!"

Elliot gave a cruel smile. "What? Getting scared?"

"Fuck you." She slammed her locker shut and turned to leave when Elliot grabbed her arm. "Let go of me, you jackass!" she yelled, trying to free her arm from his tight grip.

"Hey, what's the rush? We were having fun!"

"You stay the hell away from me," Abbie told him, finally breaking free. She started to stalk off.

"Hey, Abbie. I just have one more question. Were you born such a bitch or is it just a finely honed skill you obtained along the way?"

Abbie stopped in her tracks and turned back around. "Ah, nice to know Olivia's friends have such a dimwitted sense of humor," she shot back nastily. "You know, I'd love to stay and entertain a numbskull like yourself, but I actually have a life. And an IQ above 60." And with that, she turned back around and started walking away again.

"Abbie, it must be really painful for you to walk," Elliot called out after her. "You know, stick lodged up your ass and all."

"Go to hell!" Abbie shouted, not bothering to turn back around.

* * *

Meanwhile, Alex came out Donnelly's office to find Olivia waiting for her. "Everything good?" Olivia asked.

Alex nodded and took Olivia's hand. "Yeah. Thanks for waiting."

"No problem. So I talked to Elliot about everything," she replied as they started walking out to her car. "He said he was gonna have a little chat with Abbie."

Alex gave a sigh of relief. "I hope he scares the shit outta her. God, if I had one wish it would be that she would leave us be!"

Olivia grinned. "It wouldn't be to have extra cheese on your fries?"

Alex smiled. "That's a given."

Olivia stopped and turned to face her. "It wouldn't be to have me kiss you?"

"That's a given, too," Alex replied, grabbing Olivia's shirt and pulling her in for a sweet kiss.

After their lips separated, Olivia asked, "So we're ok from yesterday? I mean really?"

Alex brushed some of Olivia's hair back behind her ear and answered, "Yes. We'll always bounce back."

Olivia smiled. "Good to know." She took her hand again and they continued walking out.


	29. Never Have I Ever

**Chapter 29: Never Have I Ever**

The next afternoon, Serena, Casey, Olivia, and Alex were outside playing paintball. Olivia and Alex were winning, but Serena and Casey refused to give up. "It's time for payback, bitches!" Casey yelled, raising her gun.

Alex raised her own gun at Casey. "I don't think so, sucka!" She was about to pull the trigger but had a wicked idea. With a devious smile, she aimed it right at Olivia's ass instead and let the paintball loose.

Olivia screamed as she felt the hard ball pelt her. Turning around, she shouted, "Alex! Dammit! That shit hurt! You're not supposed to shoot your own teammate!"

Alex giggled. "I know. But it was such a good shot I couldn't resist."

Alex, Casey, and Serena giggled while Olivia raised her marker. "Alex, you are so gonna pay!"

Alex screamed and started running with Olivia close behind her. "Your ass is mine!" Olivia threatened.

"Think again!" Alex said, speeding up. Olivia stopped and watched Alex duck around behind the gazebo and squat down out of view.

Casey and Serena came to stand beside her. "What do you have planned?" Casey asked.

"Well, I'm gonna sneak up on her. I'm gonna act like I'll just chase you guys instead and make sure Alex sees me run off. I'm gonna wait for her to look around to make sure I'm nowhere in sight, then I'm just gonna hide somewhere and wait for her," she whispered.

"Sure you can pull it off?" Serena asked.

Olivia smiled smugly. "Oh, I'm sure of it." Looking in Alex's direction, she yelled, "Well, since my girlfriend is being a coward, I'll just have to seek revenge on her later. In the meantime, I'm gonna defend our honor by taking you two out!" Turning to Serena, she continued, "Ok, you run off and start screaming. Casey, act like you're gonna try to block me from chasing after Serena. Then I'm gonna turn my marker on you and you're gonna scream, too. Alex will think I'm preoccupied with you guys and she'll try to come out from behind the gazebo."

"Got it," Serena replied. She began screaming and ran off. Casey launched into character and pretended to block Olivia from running to catch Serena. After a couple minutes, Casey retreated in the direction of Serena and Olivia followed her.

Casey squatted down and looked through the neatly-trimmed shrubbery. "Ok, Alex looks like she's about ready to come out from behind the gazebo."

"Got it," Olivia said. She picked up her marker again and quickly ran around the side of the mansion to hide and wait for Alex to come around.

Taking a deep breath, Alex slowly stood up and began tiptoeing toward the back of the house. She quickly looked behind her to make sure Olivia wasn't following her. She was just about to clear the corner when she ran smack into her. Screaming in shock and putting a hand to her chest, she yelled, "Liv, what the hell are you doing here?"

Olivia grinned wickedly as Alex began backing up. "I think the term is called revenge. I seem to recall a rather painful shot in my ass not too long ago."

"Liv, please don't shoot me!" Alex pleaded, giving Olivia a huge pout and holding her hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry!" She pouted harder and said more softly, "Please?"

Sighing, Olivia lowered her gun to the side. "Oh, Alex. Don't give me the goo-goo eyes and sad puppy dog faces. You know my insides go all mush."

Alex gave a little smile and opened her arms. "I wuv you," she cooed.

Olivia fell into them and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Oh, you."

"Liv, you are _so_ whipped," Casey commented, running up behind them.

"Not just whipped. Pussy whipped!" Serena chimed in.

Olivia blushed deeply. "Alex is, too," she mumbled.

"Come on, guys. Let's go inside and warm up in the jacuzzi," Alex suggested, smiling happily.

After they'd scrubbed the paint off themselves and changed into bikinis, they all headed to the jacuzzi. "Man, this water feels _so _good," Casey said as she lowered her body into the warm, bubbling water.

"I know, right?" Serena agreed.

Alex got in behind Olivia and took a seat on her lap. Olivia gave her a quizzical look. "What?" Alex asked. "I'm just trying to get comfortable."

"On top of me?" Olivia joked.

"I just want you to hold me," Alex said with her signature pout. She splashed some water on Olivia's chest.

"All right, all right," Olivia agreed, wrapping an arm snugly around her waist and immersing herself deeper in the water.

"Why don't you two just run off and get married already?" Casey joked.

"Don't give them any ideas," Serena said.

Olivia shook her head. "You two like tormenting us, don't you?"

"Olivia and Alex sitting in a tree, f-u-c-k-i-n-g—" Casey began.

"Um, last time I checked the rhyme it was _kissing_," Alex interrupted.

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Olivia with the baby carriage!" Serena finished.

Alex and Olivia both blushed. "You guys are relentless," Olivia responded.

"Oh please!" Serena said. "You know you enjoy every second of it!"

Olivia grinned. "That's not the point."

Alex giggled. "You know I can't wait to marry you one day, though, right?"

Olivia's grin spread. "I know," she said proudly.

"Aww," Serena and Casey said in unison.

Alex shifted her position in Olivia's lap to straddle her thigh. She reached around to her back and untied her bikini top. Olivia gave her a lopsided grin. "Sweetie…they're watching."

"Close your eyes!" Alex quickly instructed. Olivia teasingly closed her eyes and Alex shoved her shoulder. "Not you, silly! Them!"

"What do we get in return?" Serena asked.

"A cookie?" Alex suggested.

"Not good enough," Casey chimed in. "I think Serena and I will just sit back and watch the show."

Groaning, Alex got off Olivia's lap and sat down beside her. Olivia quickly tied her bikini back. "You guys just ruin all the fun, don't you?" Alex grumbled.

"Aw, cheer up, pookie," Olivia said, reaching over to pinch a nipple.

Alex giggled and put her hand protectively to her breast. "Hey, you tweaked my nipple!" She reached over and pinched Olivia's nipple in return.

"Hey!" Olivia protested, covering her own breast.

"Alrighty then," Serena said. "Before this turns into a grope fest, let's talk about something different."

"You know what I'd really love right now?" Casey asked.

"What, babe?" Serena responded.

"An amaretto sour," Casey said lustfully.

"Ooh, I love those!" Alex exclaimed. "I like mine with an extra cherry!"

Olivia leaned over and said, "I have an extra cherry for ya."

Alex blushed profusely. "Liv!"

"Well, then," Serena said, standing up. "How about Casey and I go make some amaretto sours and leave you two to frolic?"

Alex grinned victoriously. "Sounds like quite a good plan." She was in Olivia's arms again before they'd even exited the room.

Grinning at Olivia, Alex demanded, "Flash me, Liv!"

Olivia stood up and flipped up her bikini top. She shook her breasts at Alex and then forced her face between her breasts. Alex giggled gleefully and placed her hands on Olivia's sides to brace herself.

Pushing Alex back, Olivia laughed and flipped her top back over her breasts. "Ah Alex, the things I do for love."

"Thank you, sweetie," Alex said, tenderly kissing her lips. "That was hot. For someone so athletic, you have the most amazing curves."

Olivia blushed. "Flattery will get you everywhere, babe."

"How close am I now?" Alex teased, tracing the outline of Olivia's nipple.

"Mmm…very close," Olivia said, pulling her into her arms again and perusing her mouth with her tongue.

Casey and Serena returned with their drinks. Casey loudly cleared her throat and announced, "We're backkkkkkkk."

Alex groaned again and pulled away from Olivia. She eagerly reached for her drink. "I guess this will just have to hold me over." She pulled out one of her cherries and popped it in her mouth.

"This is really good!" Olivia said in appreciation.

"You can thank our resident bartender here," Casey replied, pointing at Serena. "I just watched."

Olivia nodded in Serena's direction. "Nice work."

"Thanks," Serena said, taking a sip of her drink.

Sipping her own drink, Olivia rubbed her hand over Alex's stomach. "Is it time for the Cabot feeding yet?"

Alex giggled. "Almost."

"It's always time for the Cabot feeding," Serena joked.

Alex splashed some water in her face and said, "Haha, very funny."

A little over a half hour later, they all got out. Alex took Olivia's hand and yanked her in the direction of the nearest bathroom.

Closing the door, Olivia picked Alex up in her arms as Alex swung her legs tightly around her waist. She pressed Alex up against the door and ravaged her mouth before moving down to her neck. Alex moaned in pleasure and tightened her grasp around Olivia's neck as Olivia ripped away her bikini top and lavished her mouth's attention on her breasts.

"Take me, Liv!" Alex demanded.

"You're gonna have to ask nicer than that," Olivia teased.

"Get…get inside me."

Olivia let out a laugh. "Sweetie, I said _nicer_."

"Please…please, Liv."

Olivia placed a hand on Alex's smooth stomach and used the other to push aside the fabric of her bikini bottom. She trailed her fingers around her sex but never made contact, instead choosing to caress her thigh.

"Liv…Liv, please!" Alex begged, feeling her wetness spreading.

Olivia slid Alex higher up against the door and moved down her body. She blew her warm breath against Alex's center, causing shivers of pleasure to course through her. "Oh fuck, Liv!"

Coming back up her body, she invaded Alex's mouth again. Alex wildly pushed the cups to Olivia's bikini top aside and caressed her breasts. "You drive me wild," Olivia mumbled. "Are you open?" she asked right next to her ear.

Alex nodded impatiently. "Yes, I'm open."

"Good," Olivia replied, grinning and lowering Alex back down to the floor. She pulled the fabric back over Alex's sex again. Alex looked at her in shock. "Liv, what the hell are you doing?"

"That's your punishment for earlier," Olivia said, grinning wickedly. She tied the straps at the neck again to her bikini top.

"So you're just gonna leave me here horny and half naked?" Alex asked in a state of shock.

"That's correct."

Frowning, Alex quickly picked up her own bikini top off the floor and put it back on. "I can't believe you're doing this."

Olivia laughed. "Your pokies are all happy."

"Correction, they _were_ all happy." She opened the door and headed for the living room.

Both Serena and Casey noticed Alex's sullen expression. "Damn Al, what crawled up your ass and died?" Casey asked.

"I'm not in the mood, Casey!" Alex snapped, folding her arms.

"Geez, Al. Chill," Serena told her. "People are usually in a good mood after sex."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Casey added.

Alex frowned. "Well, I would be if sex had actually occurred."

Olivia came up behind Alex, giggling hysterically. "Oh, you guys, it was so great. I'd gotten Alex here all hot and bothered and then I just stopped. Payback for the paintball in the ass stunt."

Casey and Serena doubled over with laughter. "Ouch, Alex," Serena sympathized.

Alex glared at Olivia. "You seem so proud."

"Oh come on, babe. Don't act like you never tease me!"

"But it's all in good fun!" Alex protested, turning red.

"So was this," Olivia said with a grin.

"Serena never leaves me hanging," Casey said, wrapping an arm around Serena's waist and kissing her.

"Get a room!" Alex said grumpily, stomping up the stairs.

Casey and Serena pulled back from each other. "Damn, Liv. Alex seems pretty pissed," Casey observed.

Olivia laughed. "She'll get over it." Sighing, she said, "Still, I think I better do some damage control." And with that, she bounded up the stairs after her.

Cautiously opening the door, she peeked in. Alex was sprawled across the bed on her stomach, her face against a pillow. "Sweetie?" When Alex didn't answer, Olivia climbed in bed beside her and rubbed her back. Alex turned her head away from Olivia. "Come on, babe. You're not really mad at me, are you?"

"You embarrassed me in front of our friends," Alex mumbled.

"Oh sweetie, I didn't mean to. I was just teasing. I didn't know you'd get upset." She carefully ran her fingers through Alex's hair. "The pokies want you to cheer up."

Alex felt her lips curving into a smile in spite of herself. She turned her head back toward Olivia. "Really now?"

"Yes, really," Olivia responded, tweaking her own nipples. "See? They're coming out to provide entertainment."

"Liv, that's not helping my situation. You're making me horny all over again."

Olivia stopped and brushed the back of her hand against Alex's face. "Ok, baby. I'll stop." She pouted at her. "My ass still hurts."

Alex turned Olivia over on her stomach and began rubbing her ass. "Feel better?"

With her eyes closed in contentment, Olivia smiled. "Mmm…much." She turned back on her side and pulled Alex close to her. "If I cuddle you, will you come back downstairs?"

Alex grinned. "I guess. But you have to promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Lunch," Alex said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm starving."

Olivia grinned. "I knew that would bring you out of your room. It's a deal."

"Good," Alex responded, smiling and laying her head against her chest.

When they went back downstairs, Serena and Casey were busy making out in a living room recliner. Alex rolled her eyes. "Oh god, Liv. They're at it again."

Olivia put two fingers between her lips and let out a long, loud wolf whistle. Startled, Serena and Casey quickly separated. "A little privacy here?" Serena asked.

"Looks like someone has the freaky deaky going on!" Alex teased.

"We were just kissing!" Casey said in annoyance, straightening her bikini top.

Olivia smirked. "Yeah, with your hand between Serena's legs. I'm not stupid enough to fall for that. Alex and I have used that excuse way too many times already."

Serena got off Casey's lap and straightened out her own bikini. "Can we just eat lunch?"

Olivia grabbed Alex's hand and started pulling her to the kitchen. "Remember to wash your hands!"

"Take your own advice, Liv!" Casey retorted, following closely behind them.

* * *

"I've never done these little girly sleepovers before," Olivia said, hugging a pillow.

"Oh, what are you talking about, Liv? We have them all the time!" Alex joked.

Olivia grinned. "I mean with more than just us."

"So where are you gonna have your party, Alex?" Casey asked her.

"Ritz Carlton ballroom," Alex answered. "I'm so excited!"

"What's your theme gonna be?" Serena asked.

"Pretty in pink," Olivia joked.

Alex swatted her arm. "No…it's Arabian Nights. And there's a private dinner party scheduled before for all of us. I hope I won't be too full to dance."

"Do I get to ride in on a horse?" Olivia asked.

"No, Liv. _I_ get to ride in on the horse."

"Well then can I be the horse?" Olivia asked, grinning widely.

Alex swatted Olivia again. "Liv!"

"Liv, are you perpetually horny or what?" Casey asked.

"Hey! There was nothing dirty about my offer!" Olivia insisted.

"Rightttttttt," Serena commented.

"I'm gonna have belly dancers and everything. Lots of hot girls," Alex said with a grin.

Olivia frowned slightly. "Not too hot."

Alex laughed and rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, babe. No girl there will be hotter than you. I'll make sure you wear a super sexy costume."

"Good to know," Olivia responded with a smile.

"And I'm gonna have henna artists, too," Alex continued. She looked at Olivia again. "You and I can get matching henna designs."

"Sweet," Olivia replied. "On our ass cheeks?"

Casey and Serena laughed while Alex playfully shoved Olivia's shoulder. "No, Liv."

"What kinda food are we having?" Casey asked.

"Mediterranean," Alex answered.

"Mmm," Serena said, rubbing her stomach. "I love Mediterranean."

"Me, too," Casey agreed.

"And my cake is gonna be four-tiered, five-feet-tall," Alex gushed. "It's gonna have jewels and swarovski crystals."

"I hope I don't swallow one," Olivia joked.

"How many people are you gonna invite?" Serena asked.

"Oh…around 200. The invitations should be ready by the end of next week."

"And the picture of Alex on there is absolutely _gorgeous_, might I add," Olivia pitched in.

"They look like little miniature versions of the _1001 Arabian Nights_ book," Alex said. "Except I'm dressed up like a genie on the front."

"The sexiest genie I've ever seen," Olivia added. "I was at the shoot."

"Wasn't the genie male?" Serena asked.

Alex smirked. "Not in my version. And there will be no king either. The whole book relevance really ends with the invitations. Oh, and the invites are also scented with frankincense."

"What are you gonna be at your party?" Casey asked.

"An Arabian princess. I'm gonna perform one of the belly dances with the other girls."

"Ooh, this should be interesting," Casey teased.

"My sweetie is certainly flexible enough," Olivia said, kissing her on the cheek.

"And I can do my special shimmy in front of everyone," Alex replied, shaking her chest.

"Alex, I don't want you shimmying for anyone but me!" Olivia whined.

"Oh, cheer up, babe," Alex told her. "You're the only one who gets to see my topless shimmy. And we can play with the veils later."

Olivia grinned. "This is true."

"My party is gonna be _so _perfect!" Alex exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"Abbie's not invited, right?" Casey asked.

Alex and Olivia both gave her a look. "Are you serious?" Alex replied. "If she comes anywhere near it, I'll have her arrested on the spot."

"You really think she'd be stupid enough to show up?" Serena asked.

"She's done some pretty stupid shit already," Alex muttered. "I wouldn't put anything past her."

"Are you inviting Lexie?" Casey asked.

Alex shrugged. "Sure. She hasn't done anything to me."

Olivia looked at Alex in shock. "Sweetie, are you sure that's such a good idea? How do you know Abbie hasn't brainwashed Lexie against you? You don't want her showing up and sabotaging things on Abbie's behalf."

"Well, I've known Lexie a lot longer than Abbie has," Alex argued. "I don't think she's that into Abbie. Besides, Lexie's attitude hasn't changed towards me."

"I just think you're making a mistake," Olivia insisted. "If Lexie is there, you can bet there's gonna be drama from Abbie in some way."

Alex sighed. "I don't wanna talk about them anymore, ok?"

"Ok," Olivia agreed. "Let's just put in L Word."

"Um…I'll go downstairs and make some popcorn," Serena volunteered. "But don't start the DVD without me. Any requests?"

"Cheese!" Alex said excitedly.

"I'll take butter," Olivia said.

"Me, too," Casey agreed.

In a few minutes, Serena came back upstairs with two big bowls of popcorn in her arms. Alex reached into the bowl with the gourmet cheddar cheese popcorn. "Extra cheese. Just the way I like it."

Olivia reached over and grabbed some popcorn. "Mmm…extra butter. Just the way I like it!"

"Shit, I didn't think about drinks," Serena said. "I'll go down and get some Hawaiian Punch."

"It's ok, baby. I'll get it," Casey offered, kissing Serena on the cheek.

Serena smiled in delight. "Thank you, beautiful."

Casey returned with four glasses of Hawaiian Punch. Alex picked up the remote and started the DVD.

Olivia looked at her. "We should be on L Word."

Alex chuckled. "We're too young."

"Yeah, and I don't think the viewing audience would be too keen on your Tweety underwear," Serena teased. Everyone laughed. Well, everyone but Alex, of course.

"Well, everyone in the viewing audience can go fuck themselves," Alex snapped.

Serena, Casey, and Olivia all looked at each other. Olivia put her hand cautiously on Alex's back. "Sweetie…we were just teasing. You know that, right?"

Alex crossed her arms. "Whatever," she mumbled.

"You know Tweety and I have become great friends," Olivia continued. She picked up a few pieces of the cheese popcorn and held them out temptingly to Alex's mouth.

Alex opened her mouth and Olivia fed her the popcorn. "You and your food bribes."

"It worked, didn't it?" Olivia said with a grin. She wiggled her fingers at Alex. "It appears I still have some cheese left on my fingers."

Alex grinned. She took Olivia's hand and sucked the remaining cheese off her fingers.

"I still have some more," Olivia joked.

Alex laughed. "No, you don't. I'm not gonna suck your fingers anymore, Liv."

"You're gonna wash your hands, right?" Casey asked.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Of course I am." She got out of bed and headed for Alex's bathroom.

She came back and got in bed between Casey and Alex. "Geez Liv, stop pushing!" Casey grumbled.

"I'm just trying to get next to my lovey dovey Aly Poopoo," Olivia cooed, rubbing her nose against Alex's cheek.

Alex blushed while Serena and Casey laughed. "Aly Poopoo?" Serena asked.

"Don't act like you don't have cute little names for Casey!" Olivia accused.

"If Serena ever called me Casey Poopoo, that would be the end of our relationship," Casey stated.

Serena gasped and pretended to be offended. "You don't mean that, do you?"

Casey smiled. "Of course not. But don't go getting any ideas."

They were already a few minutes into the second episode of L Word when Olivia informed them all, "Hey guys, I gotta tell ya. I sleep naked."

Casey and Serena gave her a weird look. "Then we'll just sleep on Alex's couch," Serena said.

"Or another room entirely. We could still hear them from the couch," Casey said matter-of-factly.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Guys, she won't be sleeping naked." She looked at Olivia. "I can assure you of that."

"Oh come on, Alex. You love seeing me naked."

Alex gave a quick laugh. "Yeah…but not when we have company right next to us."

"Oh, really now? Could've fooled us earlier," Casey mused.

"You guys were _supposed_ to close your eyes," Alex retorted.

"The only one I wanna see naked is Casey," Serena said, running a finger down Casey's stomach.

"I'm sure," Olivia said sarcastically.

When they were finished with the food, Alex grabbed a bowl and a couple glasses. "I'm gonna get this stuff back downstairs."

Olivia grabbed the other bowl and glasses. "You guys behave while we're downstairs."

"We're not making any promises," Serena said.

Casey and Serena were busy making out when Alex and Olivia came back. Olivia put a finger to her lips. "Shh."

They tiptoed over to the bed and Olivia jumped on top of them. "Surprise!"

"Liv, move!" Casey yelled.

"I wanna play, too!" Olivia teased, sticking her lips out.

"Alex, make Liv move over!" Serena whined.

Olivia giggled. "I don't wanna!"

"Liv, get off us! You have your own girl!" Casey protested.

Alex pulled Olivia off them. "Behave, sweetie."

Olivia jumped out of the bed and pulled Alex with her. She picked her up and threw her over her shoulder.

"Liv, stop! Put me down! Casey, Serena! Help!" Alex screamed as Olivia gave her a hard slap on the ass.

Casey and Serena just laughed. "Hey, just let me know if things are about to get freaky so we can sleep in another room," Casey replied.

Olivia finally put her back down and climbed back in bed. Alex grabbed a pillow and hit her with it. Olivia squealed and held her hands up defensively. "Alex!"

Alex was bringing the pillow down again when Olivia grabbed her by the waist, pulled her down on top of her, and then rolled over and pinned her underneath her. "I love you," she cooed.

Alex giggled up at her. "I love you, too."

"Kiss me," Olivia ordered.

Alex leaned up to meet her lips. "You're my world," she responded when the kiss ended.

"And you're mine," Olivia replied, smiling into her eyes.

"I remember our first kiss," Alex said, sitting up.

"What was it like?" Casey asked.

"Well, we'd just gotten back from the movies—" Alex began.

"It was our first date," Olivia interrupted with a grin.

Alex grinned and continued, "And we were on my bed. I told her I liked that she was an aggressive basketball player and she answered, 'You have to be if you wanna score,' so I got this crazy idea in my head and I just leaned forward and planted one on her."

"Aww!" Serena and Casey said in unison, clapping.

"But it doesn't end there," Olivia continued. "I asked her what that was for and she said, 'Well you told me you have to be aggressive if you wanna score!' So I told her, 'Actually aggressive is more like this,' and I kissed her again." She leaned into Alex's face and said, "Like this." Then she captured Alex's lips for a steamy kiss.

"Ooh, and visuals to boot!" Casey teased as she watched Olivia slip her tongue in Alex's mouth. Alex moaned in response.

"Isn't Alex's little moan so cute?" Serena mused.

Alex slipped her hands under Olivia's tank top to massage her breasts. Olivia bit her lip and pushed her tongue farther down Alex's throat.

"Whoa there, kids!" Serena said.

Olivia removed Alex's hands from under her shirt and pulled back. She then gave her one more quick kiss before turning to Serena and Casey. "Well, maybe not that last part. We only got to first base that night."

Casey smirked. "Looks like Alex here was stealing some bases. She was at third and on her way home."

"Hey, it's not my fault Liv won't wear a bra!" Alex protested.

"Hey, my boobies like to be free spirits," Olivia replied, waggling her eyebrows.

"Apparently so do Alex's hands!" Serena joked.

"It's not my fault my girl has _amazing_ tits, either," Alex responded.

Olivia leaned forward and whispered in Alex's ear, "You're starting to make me horny."

Casey and Serena overheard her whisper. "Like _that's_ anything new," Casey retorted.

Alex looked down at Olivia's erect nipples and licked her lips. "And you're starting to make _me_ horny."

"Do you guys need a moment?" Serena asked sarcastically.

Alex tugged on Olivia's top. "No, we're good," she said, pushing Olivia's nipples in.

"Alex!" Olivia whined, frowning.

"Tell your little soldiers to stand down," Alex said with a giggle.

"But you got the pokies all excited," Olivia whined, pouting at Alex. "They were aimed and ready."

"Pokies? _Pokies_?" Casey inquired.

Both Olivia and Alex blushed furiously. "Um…it's a little pet name," Alex explained, clearly embarrassed.

"Pet name? For your nipples?" Serena asked.

"Where did you two come up with that?" Casey inquired.

"Long story," Alex answered quickly.

"Well, Alex actually came up with it," Olivia explained.

Casey and Serena looked at Alex and grinned. "Oh, really now? Tell me more!" Casey demanded.

Olivia was more than happy to. "Well, we had just finished swimming the afternoon of our first date. And uh…we stepped up onto the docks and I noticed Alex was staring at my chest. So I was like, 'Alex, see somethin' ya like?' And she answered, 'Well, your…your pokies!' And I said, 'My pokies? You mean my nipples are hard?'"

"Oh my god, Alex," Serena said, shaking her head.

Alex buried her face in her hands. "Liv, did you have to tell the story?" she mumbled.

"Don't be embarrassed, sweetie!" Olivia said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I thought it was cute."

"Well, while we're telling stories, why don't we tell the one about you refusing to wear nipple guards because the pokies didn't want their individuality suppressed?" Alex replied.

"Are you serious?" Serena asked.

"Oh, so now Liv's nipples have personality, too?" Casey joked. "Can they talk?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I still ended up wearing them." She noticed the strange looks on Casey and Serena's faces. "What? Those silicone things feel funny!"

Serena leaned over and whispered in Casey's ear, "I wonder what nicknames they have for Liv's pu—."

"None!" Olivia and Alex shouted together.

"Oh boy, wait until we tell Kathy and Elliot," Casey said.

"Oh please! Don't act like you guys don't have little pet names!" Alex accused.

"For body parts? I'm afraid not, Al," Serena informed her.

"So what's your favorite thing about Olivia?" Casey asked Alex.

Alex smiled at Olivia. "Well…I'd have to say her eyes."

"What about you Liv?" Serena asked.

"Definitely her eyes…they remind me of the ocean," Olivia answered.

"Hey, that was my answer!" Alex said, kissing Olivia on the nose and pushing her down on the pillows.

"Then her lips," Olivia continued, running a finger down them. "They're so soft and full, and I always wanna kiss them."

"Like right now?" Alex asked with a grin.

"Yes," Olivia said, leaning up to meet her lips.

"Oh boy, they're at it again," Serena said as she watched Alex once again slip her hands under Olivia's tank.

When Alex left Olivia's lips to move down her torso, Casey pointed at Olivia's chest and said, "Damn, Liv."

"Whoa, keep it above the belt guys!" Serena teased as Alex lifted up Olivia's shirt a little to kiss her stomach.

"If clothes start coming off, we're relocating to another room," Casey added.

"Bye," Olivia said quickly.

Alex stopped and looked at Casey. "We'll behave," she said, moving back to her spot beside Olivia.

"But I don't wanna behave," Olivia pouted.

"I'll make it worth your while," Alex promised, trailing a finger down Olivia's cheek.

"You promise Aly Pookie?" Olivia asked, pouting harder.

"Well, I did before you called me that," Alex teased. Serena and Casey laughed.

"Oh, come on! I thought it was cute," Olivia replied.

"Geez Liv, when did you become such a softie?" Serena wondered.

"It's not just me. You should hear what Alex calls me."

Serena grinned. "Oh, do tell."

"Well, Livvykins comes to mind," Olivia said, grinning at Alex. Alex blushed crimson and covered her face with her hands.

"You two are crazy," Casey commented.

"Crazy in love," Olivia said, pulling Alex to her for another kiss.

"I'm crazy in love with my Casemunch, too," Serena cooed, kissing Casey.

When the kiss ended, Casey said, "I never thought I could be this happy."

"Me neither," Serena agreed.

"Aww, Casemunch," Olivia gushed. "And you say _we've_ got it bad."

"I know! They're so cute!" Alex added, reaching over to pinch Serena's cheek.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Alex shouted.

Janice opened the door and stuck her head in. "Will you girls be needing anything else tonight?"

"No, thanks Janice. We're good," Alex replied.

"Very well. Then I shall see you tomorrow morning. Breakfast is at 7:30 sharp, girls," she responded, closing the door softly.

"Isn't it nice to have the house to ourselves?" Olivia asked.

"Oh yes," Serena replied. "I wish my parents were out of town this often."

"Tell me about it," Casey agreed.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go downstairs and get something else to drink. I'll be back," Serena promised.

As soon as she was sure Serena was completely out of earshot, Casey told them, "Oh my god, you guys."

"What?" Alex asked.

"Serena is _wild_ in bed. She makes me feel pleasure in places I didn't even know I had!"

Olivia and Alex burst out laughing. "Serena? As in Serena Southerlyn?" Alex joked.

"Are you serious?" Olivia asked. "You had us both thinking you were the resident nun lesbo couple."

"I'm dead serious," Casey responded. "She turned me into a screamer."

"_You_? A screamer? Well, damn!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Ooh, tell us more. I wanna hear all the juicy details about how my best friend is a tiger in bed," Alex insisted.

"Tigress," Olivia corrected.

"Well…you know, before Serena, I never had anyone go down on me before. I mean, Derek never did that."

"Lots of guys don't. And even when they do, they don't know how to do it right," Olivia replied.

Alex looked at her. "You seem to know from experience."

"Well, Andy went down on me once but I made him stop cuz it totally sucked ass. He had no clue what he was doing."

"Ew Liv, gross!" Alex said. "You let him go down on you?"

Olivia shrugged. "Well, it felt good when a girl did it. I didn't think it would feel so different when a guy did it. I was clearly mistaken."

"I guess we should warn all Andy's future girlfriends," Alex joked.

"Well, I guess it's like they say," Olivia replied. "Only a woman knows what a woman wants."

"I'm actually beginning to think there's some truth to that. Man, after Serena, I—" Casey began.

"After me, you what, babe?" Serena asked, coming in and closing the door behind her.

"Well hello, tigress," Alex teased.

"Oh, this should be good," Olivia added.

"Tigress?" Serena asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Casey here was just telling us how good you are in bed," Alex replied with a Cheshire cat grin.

Serena's mouth dropped open in a shocked laugh. "Oh, is that so?" she said, getting back in bed between Alex and Casey.

"I had to get all the good details. It's hard to imagine my best friend doing the freaky deaky," Alex explained.

Serena grinned proudly. "Well, Liv isn't the only one who knows how to get down."

"Literally," Casey added. "I wasn't convinced there was such a thing as a G spot before but now…damn. I think Serena found mine."

Serena reached over and cupped one of Casey's breasts. "You're starting to make me horny," she said, nibbling at Casey's bottom lip.

"Geez guys. And you say _I'm_ bad," Olivia teased.

"No, you're worse," Casey joked.

"Do you guys talk dirty to each other?" Olivia asked with a grin.

Serena gave her a look. "No dirtier than the things you and Alex say to each other."

"Especially Alex," Olivia said.

Alex looked at her and pretended to be shocked. "What do you mean especially me?"

"You may appear to be sweet and innocent, but some of the things you tell me you wanna do to me are enough to make the kama sutra look tame," Olivia replied.

"Whoo!" Serena teased.

"Well, hot _damn_," Casey added.

Alex blushed furiously. "I have an active imagination," she mumbled.

"And I love every bit of it," Olivia said, grinning at her and planting a kiss on her lips.

Alex giggled. "Hey guys, let's play Never Have I Ever!" she suggested excitedly.

"What's that?" Casey asked.

"It's a drinking game where the person who starts says, 'Never have I ever…' and they have to finish the sentence with something they've never done sexually. If the rest of us have done it, we have to take a shot," Alex explained.

"I guess Liv will be piss ass drunk by the time the night is over," Casey joked.

Everyone laughed but Olivia. "Very funny," she stated dryly.

"We don't have to use hard liquor. There are a couple 24 oz. bottles of Smirnoff Ice Triple Black downstairs. I'll go get 'em," Alex said, getting out of bed and walking out.

She returned with the Smirnoff and four shot glasses. She filled each of them and set them on the tray. "Ok, I'll start off. Never have I ever had sex with a guy."

Olivia, Casey, and Serena all took a shot. "Ok, Liv. Your turn," Alex informed her.

Olivia grinned. "Never have I ever had sex on the stairs." No one took a shot.

"Ok, my turn," Serena said. "Never have I ever slept with more than one girl."

Everyone looked at Olivia. "All right, all right," Olivia grumbled, reaching down and taking a shot.

"Now mine. Never have I ever rimmed anyone," Casey said. Olivia and Alex looked at each other, sighed simultaneously, and took a shot.

Casey and Serena stared in shock. "Oh my god, you two are fucking freaky!" Casey exclaimed.

"Hey, we had whipped cream and caramel!" Olivia said in their defense.

It was Alex's turn again. "Never have I ever had sex in an elevator." No one drank a shot.

Olivia grinned. "Hmm…never have I ever had sex in a restaurant." Again, no one took a shot. "What? None of the rest of you have? Come on!"

"Sorry, Liv. Ok. Never have I ever used sex toys," Serena said.

Alex and Olivia grinned at each other and took a shot. Casey laughed and shook her head. "I knew it!"

"Never have I ever had a threesome," Casey said. She and Serena both looked at Olivia when no one took a shot.

"Oh come on guys, I really haven't!" Olivia insisted. She grabbed Alex and kissed her on the cheek. "I don't like to share my pookie wookie."

"Never have I ever 69ed anyone," Serena said. Grinning proudly, Olivia and Alex poured shots and toasted each other before drinking.

"You guys have done that, too?" Casey asked in shock.

Olivia looked at Alex again and grinned wider. "Yup."

"Never have I ever had sex at a _gas station_," Alex said, looking at Serena and Casey, who each groaned and downed their shots.

Olivia giggled and nudged Alex. "And they call _us_ freaky." She paused a moment to think. "Ok…never have I ever had sex on my period." She looked suspiciously at their little group when no one took a shot. "Whew! I'm glad no one here has. Now _that's_ nasty!"

"I agree. We'd have to stop talking to you guys if you'd done that," Casey commented.

"So you're telling me that if you were really horny and you hadn't fucked Alex in over two weeks and she told you she was on her period, you wouldn't even go in the shower and fuck her?" Serena asked.

Alex folded her arms. "I'm curious to hear this answer, too."

"I'd just masturbate," Olivia responded bluntly. "That would hold me over. No one needs to have sex _that _bad. Hey, I had to go six weeks without fucking her once; a few days is a piece of cake."

"Six weeks? When did _this_ happen?" Casey inquired.

"When we weren't together. We hung out all the time and cuddled and stuff because we were working on getting back together, but I told you, Serena, we really weren't having sex," Alex explained.

"Well, I'll be damned," Serena said.

"Why'd you think they were still having sex?" Casey asked.

"Because Alex and I were supposed to study for Euro one day and I came over. She and Liv were in bed together sleeping and Liv had her shirt off."

"Hey, I told you guys my boobies like to be free spirits," Olivia said with a chuckle.

"Ok, my turn again," Serena said. "Never have I ever had sex at a party." She looked pointedly at Alex.

"Damn!" Olivia said, pouring herself and Alex another shot.

"You guys are never gonna let us live that one down, huh?" Alex asked.

"Nope," Serena and Casey responded in unison.

"Ok, well the bottle is almost up, so I guess I'll be the last one," Casey said. "Never have I ever had a one night stand."

Groaning, Olivia poured a shot and downed it. So did Serena. Casey looked at Serena in surprise. "Wait a minute. Who did you have a one night stand with?"

"Daniel Markison."

"When was this?" Casey continued.

"Sometime last year. We were drunk at a party and we just kinda hooked up," Serena answered.

"Sound familiar?" Alex asked, nudging Olivia with her elbow. Olivia rolled her eyes.

Serena looked at Casey apologetically. "I'm sorry I never mentioned it. He's the only guy I ever slept with."

"You lost your virginity during a drunken one night stand?" Casey asked.

Serena frowned. "Yeah. It's not something I'm proud of, ok?"

Casey stared at her. "Geez Serena, it was just a question."

"Sounded more like a judgment to me," Serena snapped.

Casey stroked her face and said, "I'm sorry, babe. I wasn't being fair to you. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's ok," Serena said softly.

Olivia placed her hands on the back of their heads and pushed them into a kiss. Alex said jokingly, "Liv, I don't think they need any help."

Olivia watched as Casey pulled Serena closer and deepened the kiss. "I think I'm inclined to agree."

"Let's give these kids some privacy," Alex whispered.

"Ok," Olivia agreed. She and Alex got out of bed and tiptoed to another bedroom. They cuddled up together and Alex placed her head on Olivia's chest.

"I love you, Liv."

"I love you, too, sweetie," Olivia replied, running her fingers up and down Alex's spine.

"Hey, you wanna tease Casey and Serena?" Alex whispered after several minutes.

Olivia grinned from ear to ear. "Oh definitely. So what's the plan?"

"Well, we can pretend we're having sex. That'll definitely weird 'em out!"

"Does it only have to be pretend?"

Alex swatted her. "Yes, it will only be _pretend_." They got up and returned to Alex's room. Casey and Serena were wrapped up in each other's arms.

"Everything good?" Olivia asked.

"Yes," Serena said, kissing Casey's forehead.

"Good," Alex replied, getting under the covers and snuggling up to Olivia again. "I'm tired," she continued, stifling a yawn.

"Me, too," Olivia agreed, getting out of bed to turn off the lights. They all said goodnight to each other and tried to drift off to sleep.

After the lights had been out for a few minutes, Alex began lightly moaning. "Mmm, Liv. Up a little more. Now to the right."

Stifling a giggle, Olivia began making loud slurping noises.

Casey's eyes opened wide and she nudged Serena. "Serena," she whispered.

"Hmm, sweetie?" Serena said sleepily.

"I think Alex and Liv are having sex!"

Serena sighed. "Don't be ridiculous."

"They are! Shh, listen," Casey insisted.

Olivia continued her slurping and Alex continued moaning. "Liv…oh yes, Liv. Right there!"

"Oh my god, guys! Stop!" Serena protested.

Alex reached over to turn on the lamp and Olivia giggled. "We were just messing with you," Olivia said.

"See, look," Alex said, pulling the covers down.

"Liv, you were making slurping sounds!" Casey said in disgust.

"Those were all fake," Olivia insisted. "Trust me, if we had really been doing it, Alex would've been much louder."

"Hey!" Alex protested, hitting Olivia's arm.

"Besides, I don't slurp like that, either," Olivia added.

Serena rolled her eyes. "TMI, Liv. Is this what we're gonna have to put up with all night?"

"Nah, just special occasions," Olivia teased, turning off the lamp.

Casey shook her head and put her arm around Serena again. "Come on, babe. Let's just go to sleep."

"Ok," Serena mumbled. "Hey, no freaky stuff you two!" she added as an afterthought.

"Only if you promise no freaky stuff first!" Olivia said.

"Deal," Serena agreed.

"Ditto," Olivia replied.

"Liv?" Alex asked a few minutes later.

"I love you, too, sweetie," Olivia mumbled sleepily.

"That's not what I was gonna say," Alex joked. "I was gonna ask you what you think we're having for breakfast."

Olivia let out a soft chuckle. "Sweetie, that's several hours away. I have no clue."

"Oh. What do you want?"

"French toast and ham sounds good," Olivia replied.

"Sounds good to me, too. Oh, and Liv?"

"Yes, baby?"

"I love you."

Olivia squeezed Alex's waist and said, "I love you, too, baby."


	30. Turbulence

**Chapter 30: Turbulence**

"Olivia, may I talk to you for a moment?" Serena Benson asked when Olivia walked through the door.

"Sure, Mom," Olivia replied, putting her bookbag and keys down on the sofa. "What about?"

"Well…I think you are spending far too much time with Alex."

Olivia almost couldn't believe her ears. "You're not serious."

"I went to Parents' Night the other evening. You have a C in your I.B. British Literature class."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Mom, it's only the first week of March. I have plenty of time to bring my English grade up."

"Olivia, I am an English professor for crying out loud! How do you think it makes me look if my own daughter has a C in a fucking English class?"

"Mom, not everything is about you," Olivia retorted.

Her mother frowned. "I think your time spent with Alex is interfering with your studies."

Olivia's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "You can fucking forget it, Mom! I'm not gonna stop seeing Alex!" she yelled before she could stop herself. An awkward silence followed. She avoided eye contact with her mother. Looking down at the floor, she mumbled, "Um…I mean…"

"Yes, Olivia. What exactly _did_ you mean?" her mother asked nastily.

"I'm not gonna stop hanging out with her!" Olivia yelled, getting her edge back again.

"Are you sure that's _all_ you meant?" Serena inquired, pulling out a pair of pink lace panties and dangling them in the air. "Since when do you wear size extra-small panties?"

_Shit! I knew I should've hid them in my drawer! _"Um…I don't. But Alex was over a couple days ago and she must've overlooked them when she was packing her stuff to go home."

Her mother folded her arms. "Why did she have her underwear off in the _first _place?"

Olivia groaned. "Mom, she spent the night. She brought a fresh change of clothes for after she showered. I guess she just missed the underwear when she was getting all her stuff together."

"Oh, I'm sure. Then why were they in your bed?"

Olivia turned crimson. Looking down at the floor again, she said, "They were on the floor, so I just picked them up before I went to school and threw them on my bed. I didn't want them to get dirty."

"Oh, you didn't want them to get dirty, huh?" her mother asked, walking right up to her. "It seems like it's a little too late for that. What exactly is this _stain_ on them?"

Olivia was absolutely mortified. At that moment, she wished she could just fall through the floor. "Uh…I dunno, Mom!" she yelled defensively. "I don't examine her underwear! What? Do you want me to call and ask her to identify it and issue you a written report?"

"Do not get smart with me, young lady. You know damn well what this stain is," Serena said, staring at her accusingly.

"What were you doing in my room in the first place?" Olivia asked angrily, avoiding her mother's latter statement. "You can't just go in and invade my privacy like that!"

"I thought I would be nice and do your laundry for you. But I didn't know Alex's was part of the deal, too!"

"Mom, that wasn't necessary. I do my own laundry, thank you very much," Olivia snapped.

"Regardless of this, I am ordering you to focus more on your schoolwork and less on Alex. You cannot afford any distractions."

"You have no right, Mom!" Olivia screamed. "You can't tell me who I can and can't hang out with! I'm practically an adult!"

Her mother glared at her. "You are still underage. You also still live under my roof. You are not to bring Alex back in this house until I say so!"

Olivia put her hands on her hips. "You think that's gonna go over well with Mrs. Cabot? How you won't let her daughter even set foot in this house? I thought she was your friend!"

"I didn't say she was never allowed in the house again. I said that you need to focus on your studies. Until you get your grades up, you are not allowed to have _any_ company—that includes Alex."

"Alex and I have three fucking classes together; we study a lot! You can't ban her from this house! Alex is obviously not the problem here! I have A's in all my classes with her! It's not my fault Brit Lit is so damn boring. None of that shit interests me! The books Adams makes us read are so lame!"

"Watch your language, Olivia Benson!"

"You're being a tyrant! You wouldn't want Mrs. Cabot telling Alex I'm not allowed in her house! You've never put any restrictions on anyone I've had over before. So why now?"

"This is not up for debate anymore, Olivia. You are to go to school, go to practice, and come straight home—_alone_."

"Fuck you, Mom! Not in this lifetime!" She snatched Alex's underwear out of her mother's hands and picked up her bookbag again.

"Olivia, you will not disrespect me that way! You get back here, right now!" her mother demanded, taking a long drink from her bottle of vodka.

"No, Mom! Fuck you!" Olivia yelled, turning back around and flipping her mother off. She grabbed her keys, ran out the door, and climbed in her car. By the time her mother made it to the door, she was already backing out the driveway.

Several minutes later, she arrived at the Cabot mansion. Alex opened up her door to find a frazzled Olivia. "Liv?"

"Are your parents home?" Olivia asked breathlessly.

"Not yet, baby. Why? What's wrong?"

Olivia didn't say anything else. She just grabbed Alex and pressed a bruising kiss on her lips. Alex pulled back to catch her breath. "Baby…what's going on?" Alex asked again.

Olivia took Alex's hand and pulled her upstairs to her room. As soon as the door shut, she backed Alex up into the wall and roughly attacked her neck. "Fuck. I just need to fuck," Olivia grunted. She quickly undid the buttons to Alex's shirt and pulled it off her shoulders.

"Liv…what are you doing?" Alex asked as Olivia unclasped her bra in back and quickly discarded it as well.

"I just need you right now," Olivia said, running her hands over Alex's breasts.

"Oh…ok, Liv," Alex said.

Olivia quickly unzipped her own jeans and pulled them down her legs, along with her underwear. Alex helped her out of her shirt. She rubbed Olivia's nipples and then sucked them hungrily as she shoved two fingers inside her, quickly followed by a third.

"Fuck me, Alex! Fuck me!" Olivia ordered, thrusting her pelvis forward.

Alex drove her fingers harder and faster into Olivia. Olivia covered Alex's mouth with her own and thrust her tongue inside to match the rhythm of Alex's fingers, which soon began twisting at random. Alex could sense that Olivia's orgasm was building so she broke away from her mouth and knelt on her knees before Olivia. She removed her fingers from inside her and rapidly began rubbing her clit up and down. "Come on, sweetie. Come for me."

The friction Alex was creating against her most sensitive area was stimulating her orgasm to the breaking point. Alex took her clit into her mouth and sucked hard.

"Ah, fuck! Shit!" Olivia screamed, throwing a leg over Alex's shoulder and grabbing a handful of her blonde hair. She could no longer contain her orgasm and exploded in Alex's mouth before she knew it.

Alex licked Olivia's sex clean before standing up and consuming her mouth. When they broke apart, Olivia was covered in tiny beads of sweat. "That was incredible, sweetie," she complimented her. "Thank you."

Alex smiled. "You're welcome. Now will you tell me what's going on?"

Olivia sighed and took a deep breath. She pulled Alex's panties out of her bag and handed them to her. Taking them from her, Alex gave a puzzled look and said, "Why'd you bring these back? I thought you wanted to keep them as a trophy." She gave a sly grin.

"That was before Mom found them," Olivia grumbled.

Alex almost dropped the underwear on the floor. "What? How did that happen?"

"She said she was gonna do my laundry and she saw your panties in my bed. This was of course after she told me that my grades were suffering because I spent so much time with you."

"Are you serious? The only bad grade you have is in Brit Lit. And everyone knows Adams is hard as fuck."

"Well, my mom doesn't think so. She went to Parents' Night and now is determined to play the role of the 'concerned parent.' She told me it makes her look bad that the daughter of an English professor has a C in a Lit class."

"It's not a big deal, Liv. You have plenty of time to bring that grade up."

"That's what I told her, but she wasn't hearing it. She said you were interfering with my studies and I couldn't afford to be distracted."

Alex's mouth dropped open in shock. She was angry that Olivia's mother would blame her. "That's bullshit! In all our classes together, you have good grades!"

"I told her that as well. And I told her she could forget it because I'd never stop hanging out with you. But I-I slipped up," Olivia said, looking down.

"Slipped up how?" Alex wanted to know.

"I first said I'd never stop seeing you instead of hanging out with you."

Alex brought a hand to her mouth. "Did she pick up on it?"

Olivia nodded. "Yeah. She asked me what exactly I meant. I tried to recover by saying I meant that I'd never stop hanging out with you, and then she pulled the panty trick. She dangled them in my face and asked, 'Are you sure that's all you meant?'"

"Oh my god!" Alex exclaimed.

"So yeah, baby. I think Mom knows we're dating. And that's not the worst part. She had to taunt me with them by saying that I don't wear extra-small panties and then asking me what the stain was on them. I got smart with her and said I'd ask you to deliver a written report about it and she said 'You know damn well what this stain is.'"

"She knows it's my…my…" Alex said, blushing profusely.

"Yeah, sweetie. She knows it's cum."

"Oh god," Alex said. She covered her face with her hands. "Then what happened?"

"I told her that you spent the night, took them off when you showered, and accidentally left them when you packed your things. She wanted to know why they were in my bed and I said they were initially on the floor, so I picked them up and just threw them on there before school."

"Then what did she say?" Alex asked nervously.

"Oh, she just kept going on about how she didn't want you over anymore until I got my grades up. She said it was her house and I wasn't allowed to have any company. I called her a tyrant and told her to fuck off."

"Are you serious, Liv? She doesn't even want me in the house anymore?"

"Yeah. She told me to go to school, practice, and come home alone. She can't fucking control me like this, Alex! She just can't! I said 'Fuck you' and flipped her off. I ran out and came over here. I just needed to be with you."

Alex turned from Olivia and began running her hands up and down her upper arms anxiously. "Liv, I'm so scared! I don't wanna lose you!" She covered her face again.

Olivia took Alex's hands into her own and swore, "Sweetie, you'll never lose me. My mom can go fuck herself for all I care. She probably won't even remember our conversation. She was busy drinking herself into oblivion when I left."

Alex put her hand supportively on Olivia's arm. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. She's drinking again?"

Olivia nodded. "Yeah. For once I wish she'd stay sober."

Alex wrapped Olivia in a warm hug and led her over to her bed. "Sweetie, everything will be ok." She brushed Olivia's hair back off her face. "Whenever you need a safe haven, you're always welcome here. Ok?"

Olivia forced a smile. "Ok. But what if my mom talks to your mom and your mom starts thinking I'm a bad influence on you? What if she doesn't want me in her house anymore?"

"Well…then we'll just go somewhere else. We can't let our parents control our lives, Liv. Besides, you're always welcome in my arms and no one can control them."

Olivia smiled brightly. "You really mean that?"

"Of course I do, silly buns. Now cheer up. When you came, I was just adding some icing on some sweet rolls. So let's go downstairs and eat some."

"Damn Cabot, I didn't know you could multitask like that," Olivia said, starting to put her clothes back on. "Cuz when I came I thought the only thing you were doing was holding your mouth open so—"

"Liv!" Alex interrupted, shoving her playfully. "I meant when you came _over_."

"I know, I know. Wow. You're baking, huh? I guess I've really rubbed off on you."

"If you'll recall, I baked just fine for our first date."

Olivia grinned. "This is true. I'm sure the sweet rolls will be just as delicious as the cookie bars."

Once downstairs, Olivia helped Alex drizzle the icing on the rest of the rolls. Sucking some off her fingers, she said, "This icing is really good."

Alex picked up a sweet roll and held it out to her mouth. When Olivia had taken a bite, Alex asked, "How does it taste?"

"These are really fucking good!" Olivia said appreciatively.

"Why, thank you, baby," Alex said, picking up her own sweet roll and taking a large bite.

"You are _very_ welcome."

"Hey, you wanna go riding with me and Serena tomorrow after practice?" Alex asked. "Casey will be there, too. Serena's gonna be her personal instructor."

"Sure. Serena rides, too?" Olivia asked. "I never knew that."

"Oh, totally. She's even better than I am!"

"Now that I don't believe," Olivia said, taking another bite.

"I'm serious. She has me beat at show jumping!" Alex insisted.

"You know, those two make a really cute couple."

"I know. They're so in love; it's adorable!" Alex gushed.

"Yeah, it is," Olivia agreed, sucking some icing off a finger. "I'm serious, Alex. These are really too good," she continued, finishing her sweet roll and reaching for another. "I'm gonna have to take some to school tomorrow. It will be loads of fun to eat them in the others' faces while they drool with envy."

"Come on, Liv. We have to share."

Olivia pouted. "We do?"

"Yes," Alex said, poking Olivia's stomach with a finger.

Olivia started grinning. "You know…the pokies would like to taste some icing."

Alex shook her head and laughed. "How'd I know that was coming?"

Olivia grinned wider. "Cuz you know me too well."

Alex lifted up Olivia's shirt, traced some icing on her nipples, and then sucked it off while Olivia moaned in pleasure. "Satisfied?"

Olivia shuddered a bit. "Mmm…much." She pulled Alex into her lap. "I love you. And your yummy desserts."

"I love you, too, Liv," Alex responded, licking the icing off her fingers and finishing her roll.

When they had eaten all their stomachs could hold, they went back upstairs. "God, I'm so full!" Olivia exclaimed, falling backwards on Alex's bed.

"You're tellin' me," Alex said, lying down beside her. "You wanna take a nap before we start studying for the Anatomy quiz?"

"Sounds good," Olivia responded. "You know…if I wasn't dating you, I still think I'd probably wait until the last minute to study for every test."

Alex gave a short laugh. "Ha! And your mom thinks I'm a bad influence."

"You're the perfect influence on me. You keep me grounded. You've made my life so much better than it ever was."

Alex smiled. "You've done the same for me, though, sweetie."

"You certainly know how to make a woman swoon."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "A woman?"

"Well, I'm almost an adult." She leaned closer to Alex and said, "I certainly fuck like a woman, don't I?"

Alex giggled and blushed. "Yes."

Olivia smiled. "I love it when you giggle all innocent-like."

Alex placed a chaste kiss on her nose and said, "But I certainly wasn't innocent when you first arrived, now was I?"

Olivia licked her lips. "You definitely weren't. Just thinking about it gets the pokies all sorts of excited again."

Alex looked down at her chest and said, "I can tell."

"Yours, too," Olivia replied, tweaking one of Alex's nipples through her tank top.

"Will you spend the night?" Alex asked.

"I'd love to," Olivia said with a happy grin. All of a sudden she rolled her eyes.

"What is it, Liv?"

"I didn't bring a change of clothes. And there's no way Mom'll let me back in the house without giving me grief."

"Well, she was drinking, wasn't she? Isn't there a chance she'll be passed out?" Alex asked.

"Yeah. But I don't wanna chance it."

"Well, you've snuck in several times before, so we could probably pull it off again."

Olivia sighed. She turned to Alex and placed a hand on her cheek. "Sweetie, I don't want you in any danger. She's drunk and I don't want you exposed to that."

Alex sat up on her elbow. "Baby, I can take care of myself. I don't want you exposed to that either. And I'm gonna protect you at all costs."

"Sweetie, you've never seen her like this. She's crazy. She's not herself! Remember? She busted my lip before once when she was drunk."

Alex sighed. "Yeah, I remember that. But she can't hurt both of us. Two is always better than one. I refuse to let you be around her alone. Listen. When you gave me this ring, you promised to protect me and never leave my side, and I promised the same to you. So I mean it."

Olivia smiled gratefully. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Alex said, wrapping her in a warm hug. "Besides, I don't think your Mom can compete with these babies," she continued, flexing her arms.

Olivia laughed. "Oh, you are _so_ cute." She squeezed Alex's muscles. "Ooh, don't hurt me now!"

Laughing, Alex shoved Olivia's shoulder. "I'll have you know that I'm quite strong."

"I bet you are, cutie," Olivia cooed, placing a soft kiss on Alex's biceps.

Alex giggled. "Kiss me again."

Olivia placed a couple more kisses on Alex's biceps and then captured her mouth. "How's that?" she asked when she broke away.

"That was perfect," Alex said admiringly.

"Cuddle?"

"Sure," Alex said, cuddling up in Olivia's lap.

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you," Olivia swore solemnly.

"Likewise," Alex agreed. She closed her eyes and placed her head contentedly on Olivia's shoulder. "We'll be ok, Liv."

Olivia sighed. "God, I hope so."

"You know what's ironic about all this?" Alex asked after a few moments of silence.

"What?"

"It's always my underwear that's found!"

Olivia laughed. "We'll just have to hide it better next time."

Alex grinned. "I guess so."


	31. Chastised

**Chapter 31: Chastised**

Olivia quietly turned the key in the lock and apprehensively opened the front door. The living room was shrouded in darkness. "Maybe she's sleeping after all," Olivia whispered. They started down the hall to Olivia's room when all of a sudden the lamp was turned on. They turned around in shock to find a disgruntled Serena Benson struggling to get up from the couch. The almost empty bottle of vodka fell onto the carpet and hit the leg of the coffee table with a loud _clank_.

"I thought I told you not to bring her in this house again," Serena growled, staggering over to them, her eyes bloodshot.

"Don't start, Mom," Olivia warned.

"With all due respect, Ms. Benson…" Alex began.

Serena angrily turned to her. "Shut up! You ruined my daughter!" she screamed.

"No one's been ruined, Mom!" Olivia yelled back. "Alex hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Shut up!" Serena yelled, slapping Olivia as hard as she could across the face.

"Don't you hit her!" Alex screamed, her heart breaking for Olivia.

For a few seconds, Olivia stood there in shock before hot tears spilled down her cheeks. "Did you have to do that in front of Alex?" she asked, her voice breaking.

"I'll knock the living hell out of you in front of her! That'll teach you to bring your little _friend_ over after I've told you not to," she snarled.

Alex placed a hand comfortingly on Olivia's back and glared at Serena. "What kind of mother would slap her own daughter? You're a monster!" She lovingly wiped the tears from Olivia's flushed cheeks.

Serena pointed her finger at Alex's face and said, "Don't you dare tell me how to raise my own daughter. Get out of my house."

"Stop it, Mom!"

"Go to your room!" Serena yelled. "You're not to leave until tomorrow morning for school."

"Fuck that!" Olivia retorted. "I'm getting the hell outta here right now." She turned around to leave when her mother grabbed her by the hair. "Let go, Mom!" Olivia screamed, reaching behind her and clawing at her mother's hands.

"You let go of her right now!" Alex yelled, trying to pry Serena's fingers away.

Serena let go of Olivia's hair. Olivia fell to the floor. Serena menacingly started walking towards Alex, who began taking steps backwards. "If you ever put your filthy hands on me again, I will rip every strand of _your_ hair out, you little dyke!"

Alex's mouth dropped open. "Ms. Benson!"

Olivia quickly scrambled to her feet and got between Serena and Alex. "Leave her alone, Mom!"

Her mother ignored her. She leaned to the side to address Alex. "Leaving your dirty underwear in my daughter's bed. I guess it's true what they say, huh? Young, dumb, and full of cum!"

"Mom, stop it!" Olivia screamed. "Don't fucking say another word!"

Serena reached for Alex but Olivia blocked her arm. "Move out of my way!" Serena growled.

"I'll die before I let you hurt her!" Olivia shouted, pushing her mother back roughly. Serena would have fallen on the floor if she hadn't stumbled into the back of the couch. Olivia grabbed Alex's hand, ran to her room, and locked the door behind them.

Alex grabbed a duffle bag and Olivia frantically began shoving items in it while Serena banged on the door. "Open up this damn door!" she demanded.

"We'll go out the window," Olivia whispered.

Alex nodded and struggled to zip up the overstuffed bag. "You got everything, baby?"

"Yeah, I think so," Olivia responded. She put the bag on her shoulder while Alex went to the window and opened it. They could still hear Serena's maniacal screaming as they hurried to the car.

They had been driving for several minutes and Olivia hadn't said a word. Alex cautiously placed a hand on her thigh. "Say something, sweetie."

Olivia kept her eyes straight ahead. "There's nothing to say."

"Baby…"

Olivia held up a hand. "Alex, I don't wanna talk about it, ok?"

Alex sighed. After the ordeal they'd just been through, she knew it was best to leave Olivia alone to lick her wounds—at least for the time being. She in no way wanted to exacerbate the pain, anger, or humiliation she knew Olivia felt. However, she also knew that they should talk about it relatively soon so it would not build up inside Olivia and cause her to explode at a later point. She decided the best time to broach the subject again would be after they were back to safety at her own house.

When they arrived, Olivia wordlessly preceded Alex up the stairs, threw her bag down on the floor, and lay down on her side on the bed. Alex walked in behind her, softly closed the door, and then lay down beside Olivia. "I love you, sweetie."

Olivia didn't respond. Trying not to sigh, Alex continued, "Is there anything I can get for you?" Olivia shook her head. "Would you like for me to give you a massage? Rub your stomach? That always makes you feel better."

Olivia shook her head again. She was trying hard not to start crying again. "No, that's all right," she said almost inaudibly.

"Well, I'll just hold you then," Alex responded. She cuddled up to Olivia's back and wrapped her arms around her.

After about 20 minutes, Olivia said, "I'll be ok, Alex. You can let me go now."

"Liv, you don't have to play the whole macho part. Just cry. Let your guard down. I don't expect you to always be the strong one."

Olivia quickly sat up and turned to face Alex. "My mom pulled one of her drunken tirades and hit me right in front of the girl I love! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is?"

"Sweetie, you have _nothing_ to be embarrassed about! This isn't your fault! She basically called me a cum-filled dyke and threatened to rip my hair out, but I'm not gonna beat myself up about it!"

"And do you have any idea how hard it was for me to hear her say those horrible things to you? I wanted to sink into the ground! I promised to protect you and I couldn't even shut her up and protect you from her psychological abuse!"

"Liv, you did protect me. You got me out of there, you stopped her from hurting me. You're the bravest person I know!"

Olivia smiled weakly. "Yeah, well I didn't feel so brave. I was terrified she'd hit me again. And I was even more scared that you would think I was weak for letting it happen."

Alex stroked her face. "Sweetie, no! I could never think that! Drunks are unpredictable. You had no clue what she would do."

"I didn't ever want you to be exposed to that, Alex. You come from a good, clean, sober family. I'm sorry you had to witness just how dysfunctional the latter rungs of society are."

"I'm not. I'm glad I could be there with you. No one deserves to go through that alone. And don't you dare insult yourself that way. In no way are you from a 'latter rung' of society. You're complete royalty in my book. It's not your fault the stork dropped you off at the wrong house by accident."

Olivia pulled Alex to her and kissed her on the forehead. Her sincere, comforting words made her soul soar. Smiling brightly, she said, "Oh, sweetie. You always know how to lift me up. I don't know what I'd do without you." Her eyes began tearing up again.

"Go ahead and cry, sweetie. Let it all out."

Olivia broke down in tears. Alex pulled her into her lap and rocked her softly. "It'll be ok, sweetie. It'll be ok," she assured her, rubbing her hand over her hair softly.

Olivia was glad to have the love and support of Alex, and Alex was glad that Olivia had completely opened up to her and let her emotions through. She rubbed her stomach for several minutes until her tears started to dry up.

"Thanks for sticking up for me in front of my mom like that. It really means a lot to me," Olivia said gratefully, sniffling and adding the tissue in her hand to the small pile in front of her.

"No problem, sweetie. I just want you to be happy—and safe."

Olivia smiled and brushed her face. "As long as I'm with you, I will be."


	32. The Sum of Errors

**Chapter 32: The Sum of Errors**

A week later, the fight with her mother was still bothering Olivia. The atmosphere at home remained tense. She had made herself scarce at home since that awful evening, trying as hard as she could not to cross paths with her mother. When she did return home to sleep, she made sure it was after her mother had already retired to her room for the evening. The few times they did accidentally run into each other in the common areas of the house, they barely said more than three words. Unfortunately, the stress of her home environment was getting to her more than she cared to admit, and it was even causing her to suffer in her performance at school, especially during swimming and diving practice. Olivia was lost in her thoughts when she heard Cragen screaming her name.

"Olivia, get out of the damn pool!" Cragen yelled.

Olivia pulled herself out of the water and walked over to him. She pushed her goggles to the top of her head. "Why'd you pull me out?"

"Olivia, what the hell is wrong with you?" Cragen demanded. "You're about 5 seconds behind your usual time! Freestyle is your strongest stroke and you look like you just learned how to swim out there! You're supposed to be using the six-beat kick! What you were doing would only qualify as six-beat if a snail was swimming! And your dives were even worse! Where was the finesse? There was no height and you made a splash larger than the dolphins at SeaWorld!"

"Coach…I-I just have a lot going on right now," Olivia said, embarrassment flushing her cheeks.

"That's no excuse!" Cragen shouted. "If you don't shape up by the end of the week, I'm pulling you from the meet!"

"Yes, sir," Olivia said, almost to the point of tears. "I'll try harder."

She turned around and was walking back over to her lane when Cragen shouted, "Hit the showers! You're done for the day!"

Olivia turned back to face him, completely crushed. "But Coach—"

"I mean it, Olivia! Hit the damn showers!" he shouted, pointing in the direction of the locker room.

Clenching her jaw, Olivia tore off her swim cap and stormed into the locker room. Alex came in a few minutes later to find Olivia sitting by herself on the bench, staring angrily at the floor. She hadn't even bothered to get out of her swimsuit and shower. "Hey Serena, I'll catch you later, ok?" Alex said.

Serena turned her attention from Olivia to Alex again. "Ok. Casey should be almost done with softball practice. I'll go watch. I wanna see just how good her batting skills are if ya know what I mean," she said with a wink.

Alex smiled. "I bet. Later."

"Later," Serena said, grabbing her bag and walking out.

Alex walked over to Olivia and sat down beside her. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Olivia grumbled.

Alex put her hand on Olivia's wet back. Even though she knew it wasn't the appropriate time to have such thoughts, she couldn't help but think how sexy Olivia looked with the water dripping from her hair and her swimsuit clinging to her like a second skin. Seeing goose bumps along her arms, she grabbed a towel and placed it across Olivia's shoulders. "Sweetie, you're cold. How about a nice hot shower? I could join you if you'd like," Alex said, grinning slyly and running her hand through Olivia's drenched locks.

Olivia pushed Alex's hand away and threw the towel on the floor. "Alex, I'm not in the mood for playing."

_I'll have to try something else_, Alex decided. She placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and began to massage her shoulders. "Sweetie, you're so tense."

Again, Olivia pushed her hands away. "Alex, please."

Alex pouted. "Baby, you've always liked my massages."

Olivia groaned and rolled her eyes. "Alex, what part of 'I'm not in the mood' don't you understand?" she snapped.

"Geez Liv, what's your problem?" Alex asked, frowning.

"You wanna know what my problem is? Well, I'm so fucking pissed off right now!" Olivia screamed, jumping to her feet and slamming her fist into a locker near her.

Alex flinched. "Liv! Be careful, sweetie!" She jumped up and cautiously put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"Alex, I don't need a fucking babysitter. I just need a few minutes to myself."

"No, Liv. I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on. What in the world has gotten you so worked up?" Alex wanted to know.

Olivia sighed. "Coach humiliated me in front of the team. He made me get out of the water and bitched me out about my form and my speed. He told me if I don't get it together I can't compete in the next meet."

Alex's mouth dropped open in shock. "But you're the best on the team! He can't do that!"

"Yeah, he can," Olivia grumbled, looking down at the floor again.

Alex lifted her chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. "Let's just forget about him, ok? Cragen's just being an ass. How about we just focus on us?" she suggested, wrapping her arms around Olivia's neck and warmly kissing her lips.

"I can't forget about him," Olivia said, pulling away from Alex and starting to pace back and forth across the floor. "Ugh, I'm so motherfucking _pissed_! Does he have any idea how hard I've worked? How I've busted my ass all semester to please him? He said I was 5 seconds off my usual freestyle time and my six-beat was about as fast as a snail! And he had the nerve to say I splashed like a dolphin at SeaWorld in my dives!"

"You know that's not true, Liv. You've been under a lot of stress lately. You'll bounce back."

"Tell that to that fucking asshole," Olivia barked. "I fucking hate him!" she screamed, slamming her fist into the locker again.

"Liv, calm down. It's gonna be ok," Alex said gently. "You're gonna hurt yourself." She walked over to Olivia again, picked up her hand, and kissed the bruised, slightly cut knuckles. "Besides, Liv. You don't wanna scare the pokies."

"Leave me alone, Alex," Olivia snapped, taking her hand back.

"No, Liv. I just wanna comfort you," she said, rubbing her back. "Maybe all you need is a good cry. My shoulder is always here for you to cry on, pookie wookie."

"Alex, just back off!" Olivia yelled angrily, pushing her arm away.

"I love you, Liv. I don't wanna leave you when you're in a state like this." She knew there was no reaching Olivia when she was this angry, but she wanted to try anyway. After the fiasco a couple weeks prior, she thought Olivia would think twice before losing her cool again.

Olivia frowned. "A state like this? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're angry. I'm afraid for you. I mean…you punched your fist into a locker. I don't want you to hurt yourself or anyone else."

Olivia glared at her. "Alex, you are not my mother. I did that to blow off some steam. I'm not a fucking menace to society just because I get angry from time to time!"

Alex gently placed a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "That's not what I meant."

Olivia snatched her shoulder away. "Please don't touch me, Alex."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Alex asked painfully. "I thought we were ok after you—"

"Because you fucking smother me!" Olivia yelled. "I tell you to leave me alone, that I need some space, but you're still fucking standing here! Don't hover over me acting like you understand what I'm going through here because you can't!"

"Liv, I do understand! Donnelly used to yell at me all the time because she thought my technique was off on the pyramid, and I get yelled at now on the balance beam and bars. Sometimes I just wanna quit."

"Alex, it's not the same thing. I play real sports," Olivia growled.

Alex stared at her in horror. "What? I don't play real sports? Do you have any fucking idea how hard cheerleading and gymnastics are? Or how dangerous? I can't believe my own girlfriend would say such a horrible thing to me! You're such a fucking asshole, Liv! I don't even know why I'm still with you!" she shouted, grabbing her bag and stomping off in tears.

"Alex…Alex, wait!" Olivia yelled after her, but Alex kept going. She ran up to her and grabbed her arm. She was hurt when Alex harshly yanked it away and shoved her back a few steps. This was the first time Alex had ever shoved her.

"You're a raging cunt!" Alex screamed, pointing an accusing finger at her face. "I am not going through this again with you! This is the last time you treat me like shit!"

Olivia was stunned that Alex would say such things to her, that she had pushed Alex that far. "Alex, please! Let me explain! I'm sorry!"

"Fuck you, Olivia Benson! Fuck you!" Alex said, flipping her off, turning back around, and storming out.

"Alex!" Olivia stood there with her mouth open, feeling even more crushed than she had earlier when Cragen berated her. She'd never seen Alex so angry with her. She had never said such harsh things to her, had never flipped her off. "Shit," she muttered under her breath. Turning around dejectedly, she headed for the shower and thought about what she could do to keep the last and most important thread in her life from unraveling.

Several minutes later, she stepped out of the shower and got dressed. Thinking of how Alex would have probably fussed over the cuts on her hand, she took some Neosporin out of her bag and rubbed some on her knuckles. She then tried calling Alex, who didn't pick up. Then she tried sending her some text messages to let her know how sorry she was and ask for forgiveness, but Alex didn't respond to those either. "Damn it!" she muttered. Sighing, she decided to phone Elliot.

"Hey, Liv. What's up?"

"Hey, El. Listen, a lot of shit just went down and I really need to talk to you. Are you at home?"

"Yeah, Liv. Just got in a few minutes ago, actually. You comin' over?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in about 15 minutes."

"Ok, I'll leave the door unlocked," Elliot said.

Olivia grabbed her stuff and headed out to her car. When she arrived at Elliot's, she ran up the stairs and opened the door. "Hey," she said, acknowledging him with a slight upward nod of her head.

"Hey," he responded, patting the spot on the sofa beside him. "So what's up?"

"My life is falling apart, that's what's up," Olivia said with a frown.

Elliot rubbed her back. "Nah, I'm sure you'll be fine. What happened? Did you and Alex have another fight or somethin'?"

Olivia groaned. "Elliot, I love Alex more than anything but sometimes she drives me absolutely up the fucking wall."

"A little lovers' quarrel?" Elliot asked teasingly.

"You could say that," Olivia said with a sigh. "I told her that I just needed some time alone. Cragen was busting my ass about my form, and I was really stressed out. And she was all fussing over me. I just lost it."

Elliot frowned. "What do you mean you just lost it?"

"I blew up at her. I made her cry," Olivia answered, her voice full of remorse. "I hate seeing her cry. I tried to apologize but she ran off. Now she won't answer my calls."

"Liv, you should try to control your anger. You're gonna push her away."

"Gee, I hope not," Olivia said in a scared voice. "I'd never seen her so angry, El. Ever. Shit, I hope I haven't fucked this up for good."

"What did she do?" Elliot wanted to know.

"Well, let's see. She called me a 'raging cunt,' cussed me out, shoved me, said she didn't know why she was still with me, and flipped me the bird," Olivia replied, ticking the things off on her fingers. "For a second I thought she was gonna take her ring off and throw it at my chest."

"Ouch," Elliot said sympathetically. "What spurred that?"

"She was trying to tell me that she understood how I must feel because Donnelly bitches her out in gymnastics. But I was a real jerk and blurted that it's not the same because I play real sports."

Elliot looked at her as if she were crazy. "You said _what_?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I don't need you to rub it in, ok? I know I was way off base. I didn't mean it."

"Liv, you know Alex puts a lot of stake into gymnastics. It's all she talks about besides you. Does she know you didn't mean it? That had to hurt."

"I said I was sorry," Olivia snapped.

"I know you are. But you need to convey that to Alex. Just saying the words isn't gonna do it this time."

"Well then how do I make it up to her? I just wanna make things right. She's the most important thing in my life and I can't afford to ever lose her."

Elliot sighed. "Just a simple gesture. Show up on her doorstep with candy and flowers or somethin.' You know how to woo her."

"Candy and flowers? I think I can do much better," Olivia said with a smile, standing up. "Thanks, El. Well, I'm off to do some major damage control. I'll let you know how it turns out."

Elliot stood up and walked her out. "Good luck."

Olivia gave a short laugh. "Yeah, I'll definitely need all the luck I can get."

"Oh, and Liv?"

"Yeah?" she said, turning back around.

"By simple I mean G-rated. No more writing 'I love Alex Cabot' on your boobs."

Olivia chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."


	33. Stasis

**Chapter 33: Stasis**

Alex opened her door to find Olivia standing there expectantly. Groaning inwardly, she said, "Liv, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I had to see you. I wanted to apologize for the things I said."

Alex rolled her eyes. "I thought you wanted to be alone. Well, you can be alone the rest of your life for all I fucking care."

Olivia shook her head. "No, baby. I just needed to be alone at the moment. Just so I could sort some things out in my head. Any other time all you tried to do to comfort me would've been welcome. Alex, please let me in. It's freezing out here."

"Then get in your car and go back home to your nice warm house."

Olivia felt tears well up in her eyes. "But I brought you a baby Tweety," she said helplessly, holding out the smaller stuffed animal and bouquet of a dozen long-stemmed red roses.

"_Go home_," Alex said, slamming the door in her face and going back upstairs to her room.

By this time, Olivia was desperate. Wiping away her tears, she ran around to the back of the Cabot mansion, tucked the roses and Tweety in her jeans, and began climbing up the trellis to Alex's bedroom window.

Alex was just about to pick up her iPod again when she heard banging on her window. She jumped out of bed and rushed over to find Olivia. Her anger was temporarily forgotten for the sake of Olivia's safety. She quickly unlocked her window and opened it. "Olivia Benson, what the hell are you doing? Are you insane?"

"Please, Alex. Let me in. We need to talk."

"I'm only letting you in because I don't want you to fall and get hurt. It's not because of your Tweety and roses bribe," Alex said, taking Tweety and the roses from her nonetheless.

She then quickly helped Olivia inside and closed her window again. When both Olivia's feet were safely on the floor again, she yelled, "Don't you ever do something that reckless and scare me half to death again!"

"I needed to talk to you. This was the only way. I didn't mean to scare you," Olivia said, looking into Alex's eyes.

Alex sat down on her bed and moved her stuff so Olivia could sit beside her. "Thanks for the Tweety and roses," she said quietly.

"You're welcome. Listen. I don't know what came over me earlier. I'm really sorry I was so mean."

Alex sighed and told her, "Olivia, you promised you'd never hurt me again after that Nick disaster. And that's just what you did! Again!" She shook her head and looked down. "I don't know if I can continue to be with you after what you said."

"So Alex, I slip up once and it's over, just like that?" Olivia asked painfully.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Actually, it's twice. I seem to recall how you blew up at me a couple weeks ago when I found out about your mom."

Olivia sighed. "Ok, then. Twice. But all I wanted to do was have a little alone time. When we fought about my mom's rape, you told me that the next time I wanted to blow off some steam to let you know so you don't get caught up in it. So that's what I wanted—just a little time to cool off so I wouldn't risk saying anything that would hurt you. I didn't wanna blow up at you like that."

"Oh, so it's my fault now?" Alex said accusingly.

"Alex, no. I didn't mean it like that. Can't you just give me another chance?"

Alex threw her hands up. "How many more chances do you need before you finally get it right? Liv, you insulted me! You said I was smothering you. And you insulted the things I love! When you said that you played real sports, you really hurt me! It's like the things I do don't even matter. It's always about you and how tough you are."

Olivia tried to choke back tears. "Alex, I'm sorry! You know I didn't mean it! Come on, Alex, you told me you hated me that night you saw me with Nick! And you didn't mean it, did you?"

"When I said it, I thought I did," Alex responded truthfully.

Olivia felt a pang of hurt shoot through her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes and began to spill forth down her cheeks. "You don't hate me now, do you?"

Alex felt horrible for causing Olivia to cry. She wrapped her in a hug and assured her, "No, Liv. I love you. Come on, don't cry."

After she had stopped crying, Olivia said, "Baby, you really have to believe how sorry I am. I never meant it when I said it wasn't the same cuz I play real sports. I know you do, too."

"Liv, you really hurt my feelings."

"I'm so sorry, sweetie." She reached out to stroke Alex's cheek.

"I know you are." Alex took a deep breath and continued, "But Liv, I just think we need a break."

Olivia felt a tear fall down her cheek again. "Did you want a break from us before all this happened?"

"No," Alex answered softly.

"Then why now?"

"Because I wanna be able to kiss you, to hold you, to make love to you without the hurtful things you said running through my mind or making me insecure in my affection for you."

"But Alex!"

Alex held up her hand for silence. "Listen, Liv. Sometimes the things we say in anger were in our subconscious mind all along."

"Alex, stop trying to tell me how I feel! I know what's inside me, what's in my heart! I don't think you're smothering me! It just felt like it at that time because all I wanted was a little time to myself to cool down. And that's all the time I needed."

Alex sighed. "I understand that, Liv. But what you need to understand is that even though you regret the things you say right now, the damage is already done. You really hurt me and all I need is a little time to heal."

"Well how long?" Olivia asked, searching Alex's eyes.

Alex looked away. "I don't know, Liv. Not that long. Maybe a few days. Or a week or two."

"A week or two?" Olivia exclaimed in astonishment. "Alex, what about our promise to each other? Our rings? Our necklaces? We promised we'd be with each other through tears of pain and joy. And we promised that nothing would ever keep us apart."

Alex sighed again. "I know, Liv. This isn't permanent. And I'm not doing this to hurt you. Just think of it as tough love."

Olivia swallowed hard. "Tough love? Alex, don't try to disguise this as something other than what it is. You're throwing our promises we made to each other out the window."

Alex glared at her. "I am not, Liv! You can't use those promises as an excuse to hurt me! You seem to think that you can do or say whatever the fuck you want and because we made those promises, I'll just forgive you and move on like it never happened!"

"That's not fucking true! I don't think I can intentionally hurt you, and I never tried to! But what I do expect is forgiveness. Alex, I'm not perfect. No one is. We're both human and we're gonna make mistakes. But we have to forgive each other. We do have to move on if we plan on staying together forever. We're each other's soul mates."

Alex knew Olivia was right but she wasn't ready to forgive her yet. "I know, Liv. But there are some things that just take a little longer to forgive."

"Alex, please. Please don't do this!" Olivia begged, grabbing Alex's hands.

Alex pulled her hands away. "Liv, you broke a promise! How do I know that you won't break your promise to never abandon me when the going gets tough?"

"Because I know what life is like without you. And I don't ever wanna put myself through such agony again. So please don't make me go through that."

"Well, Liv, you may not have physically abandoned me, but when you shut yourself off from me and won't let me be there for you, you abandon me emotionally."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I'll really work on that. I promise."

Alex sighed. "Ok, Liv. But I still think we need to take a little break from each other. It'll help put things in perspective and it'll give me time to heal."

"Alex, you promised me that I'd never have to be without you."

Alex dragged her hands down her face. Olivia could be more stubborn than she was. "And you won't, Liv. This is a short _break_, not a breakup. I'm still yours."

Olivia felt her stomach flip-flopping back and forth. "What are we gonna do about school? We have lunch and three fucking classes together for crying out loud!"

"And nothing is gonna change, Liv. We don't even have to tell our friends anything. Just because I want a break doesn't mean I'm gonna avoid you like the plague! We just won't kiss, hold hands, and spend 99.9 percent of our free time together. And if you need me emotionally, I'll be there."

"But Alex!" Olivia begged.

"Liv, please. Just go. This is hard enough as it is," Alex replied.

Olivia got up off the bed. "I can't believe you're doing this to us!" She stormed out the room in tears.

Alex lay back against her pillows as the tears streamed down her cheeks. For the longest time, she didn't even try to stop them.

* * *

Mrs. Cabot was coming into the living room when she noticed Olivia running through the foyer in tears toward the front door. She immediately started walking toward her. "Darling, what's the matter?"

Olivia turned to Mrs. Cabot, her hand still on the doorknob. "Alex…Alex…she…" she stammered.

Mrs. Cabot put her arm around Olivia and led her into the den. She wasn't thrilled about Alex's fondness for Olivia and the rumors that surrounded it, but she couldn't bear to ignore a girl who was so obviously in distress. She shut the door and gently sat Olivia down on the sofa. Taking a seat beside her and handing her some tissues, she said, "There, there, dear. Take some deep breaths. That's right. Tell me what happened."

"Alex and I…we had a fight. I said some really mean things to her in the locker room today after practice and I really hurt her feelings. Then I came over here to apologize but—"

"Take your time, sweetie," Madeline instructed, stroking her hair.

"Alex won't forgive me. She told me we needed time apart, but I don't wanna be away from her! This hurts so much. God, I love her so much! I do! She's everything to me!" Olivia exclaimed, clinging to Madeline.

Madeline stiffened. She lifted Olivia's chin and forced her to look her in the eye. "What exactly do you mean by all this?"

Olivia stared at her, her eyes big and scared. She didn't know what to say but felt she had already said too much in her vulnerable state, so there was no turning back now. "I mean I love her more than anything or anyone in this world and I can't live without her."

Madeline realized exactly what Olivia was telling her but she still felt compelled to ask the question she had been wondering for the past couple months. "Are you saying that you and my daughter are _in_ love?"

Olivia took a deep breath. She paused for several seconds. "Yes…" she finally answered.

Madeline immediately tensed up again. The thing she had feared the most had come upon her. "Oh my god," she gasped, covering her mouth with one hand and moving away from her on the sofa.

"I'm sorry if it hurts. We couldn't tell you we were dating. Please…please don't take her from me. I need her," Olivia begged, hoping—praying—that she didn't just make the biggest mistake of her life.

Madeline sighed. She was caught between a rock and a hard place, her moral values and her daughter's feelings. When she had first suspected that there was something more than friendship between the two girls, she decided that as soon as she had definitive proof of their relationship that she would make them stop seeing each other. However, after seeing the love and pain etched into Olivia's face in regards to her daughter, all her previous plans and prejudices unexpectedly flew out the window. In fact, she was angrier with Alex for letting someone who obviously loved her as dearly as Olivia go than at finding out the two of them were dating.

Taking a deep breath, she started to say words she never thought would escape her mouth. "Well, I'm not going to tell you that I'm ecstatic about hearing my daughter is in a lesbian relationship because I'm not. But all I know is that over these past few months, Alexandra has been happier than I've ever seen her. And if you are the cause of that, then I'm not going to take her happiness away."

Olivia could not believe her ears. _If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up! _she thought. She hadn't been this excited since Alex accepted her promise ring. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Cabot. You don't know how much this means to me! I'm really sorry about all the lying and sneaking around. But we were just so scared that you'd make us break up. I really do love your daughter—with all my heart. I know I may not be the preferred person to date your daughter, but I'll always be good to her and give her everything I can to keep her happy."

Madeline smiled in spite of herself. "So you were Mike all along?" she asked.

Olivia smiled and shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah. I was about to confess everything to you right then and there because I thought you knew about us. Well, until you asked who _he_ was."

Madeline chuckled. "Alex looked completely mortified when I told her I was going to put her on birth control."

Olivia laughed. "Yeah, she told me about it." Her mood slightly dampened again when she realized that she and Alex were still on the rocks. "But…could you please talk to her? I'm so scared of losing her. I just want her to forgive me."

Madeline sighed. "I'll try. Why don't we go upstairs together?"

Olivia nodded. "Ok, thank you so much!" She could not believe her certain turn of good luck.

Madeline nodded in return and replied, "You're welcome, dear." She patted Olivia on the back and they went upstairs together.

Madeline tapped lightly on Alex's door. Alex groaned and thought, _You just don't give up, do you, Liv?_ Sighing deeply, she shouted, "I said a few days, Liv, not a few minutes!"

"This is your mother, Alexandra," her mother said sternly. "I need to speak with you this instant!"

_Shit! I am not in the mood to deal with my mom either_. Groaning again, she replied, "It's unlocked, Mom. Come in." Her stomach dropped when she saw her mother and Olivia enter her room. She looked from one to the other.

"Alexandra, you should be ashamed of yourself!" her mother accused.

Alex put her tissue down and gave her mother a puzzled look. "What are you talking about, Mom?" she asked, sniffling.

"Your little spat with Olivia."

Alex looked accusingly at Olivia. "Liv, how could you—"

"Alex, you've always been so stubborn," her mother interrupted. "I guess you get that from your father. Don't do this to try to punish Olivia for hurting you. You don't match pain with pain."

"I can't believe you, Liv! You're using my _mom_ to do your dirty work for you?" Alex asked in disdain.

"Silence, child. Olivia told me everything. I know the extent of the relationship between you two."

Alex started bawling again. She didn't expect her life to fall apart this way. She looked at Olivia, utter betrayal reflected on her face. "Olivia, how could you do this? How could you destroy us?!" she screamed. "This was just supposed to be temporary but now we'll be forced to be apart forever!"

Olivia rushed to Alex's side and held her in her arms. "Baby, I didn't destroy us. Alex, every moment, every kiss we share, every breath we take together is so special to me. I wouldn't take any of it for granted."

Madeline sat on the other side of Alex. "Stop crying, dear. I'm not going to make you two stop seeing each other."

Alex froze. She gaped at her mother in shock. "Wh-what? You're not?" She turned to Olivia for confirmation.

"She isn't, sweetie," Olivia said, stroking her hair.

Alex turned to her mother again. "But…but I thought that you—"

Madeline held up her hand for silence. "That was before I had the conversation with Olivia. When I saw how much she loved you, how distraught she was, I decided that it would be unfair for me to judge the two of you without giving you a chance. I may not understand your attraction to each other, but I do understand love. And I saw true love in this young lady's eyes tonight. I'm sorry that Olivia hurt you and I can tell she is sorry as well. But why add to your pain?"

"Mom, this was only gonna be a week or so," Alex said softly, feeling incredibly guilty.

"Yes, a week or so for you to be miserable. As long as you and Olivia are not together, you're going to be depressed and moping around this house. Just look at yourself now. You have a mile-high pile of tissues cluttering up your bed. Tomorrow is not even promised to any of us. What you do know is that you have Olivia here now—safe and sound."

Alex was overwhelmed by all that had just unfolded. She took a few seconds to process it all. "God…I-I don't know what to say. Liv—"

"Please stay with me, Alex! You're my whole life!" Olivia cried, sobbing into her shoulder.

"Ok, Liv. Ok," Alex said soothingly, stroking her hair and her back.

Olivia looked up into Alex's deep blue eyes and asked, "So you're not making us take a break?"

Alex looked at Olivia's heartbroken face. She couldn't bear to see her in so much pain. She knew that spending time apart from Olivia would cause them both to suffer much more than forgiving her and moving on at the present time. Besides, she had to be perfectly honest with herself. She tried to create the façade that she was strong enough to take not being with her since she was the one who made the decision in the first place, but she knew she could stand to be officially apart from Olivia (even if only for a short while) no more than Olivia could. _I'd probably give in a couple days later anyway_, she told herself. She gently stroked her face and confirmed, "No, Liv. No break."

Olivia felt her heart bursting with happiness. "Thank you so much, sweetie," she said, wrapping her in a warm hug. Alex returned her embrace. When they pulled back from each other, Olivia asked, "Do you forgive me, Alex?"

Alex picked up Olivia's hands and held them tightly in her own. "Liv, if you were willing to go to my mom for help and confess your love in order to keep me, then I'm willing to forgive you for what happened today. What you did took a lot of courage, and I know you were more afraid of what my mom's reaction would be than your own mom's. Thank you for being so brave, Liv."

Olivia grinned widely and hugged Alex again. "I love you so much, sweetie."

"I love you too, Liv," Alex said, squeezing her and rubbing her back. They pulled back and looked at Mrs. Cabot expectantly.

Madeline smiled. "True love is so rare to find girls. Hold onto it, guard it with your lives. I want the two of you to know that you have my support."

Olivia and Alex both wrapped their arms around Madeline, squeezing tightly. "Thank you so much, Mom," Alex said gratefully.

"You're welcome, girls," she said, standing up and starting to walk towards the door. "Well, I'll let the two of you get um..reacquainted. Behave yourselves. I don't want anymore tears to fall tonight."

Olivia stared in Alex's eyes and softly kissed her lips. They tasted salty, a reminder of the tears that had fallen on them. Alex returned the kiss as Olivia tangled one hand in her hair and slowly brought the other one up her side.

Madeline cleared her throat. "Olivia, just because I've given you permission to continue dating my daughter doesn't mean I will tolerate you fondling her right in front of my face," she said austerely.

Olivia quickly pulled back and offered Madeline a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Mrs. Cabot."

"You may call me Madeline, dear," she informed her.

"Hey, Mom?"

"What, dear?"

"Thanks again," Alex said with a smile.

Madeline smiled back. "You're welcome, dear," she said, turning around and making her exit.

"So are we ok again?" Olivia asked hopefully when they were alone again.

"Yeah. But Liv, what you don't understand is that you made me feel _this_ small," Alex said, demonstrating with her thumb and forefinger. "When you're good for me, you're really good, but when you're bad, you're really bad. I just feel so crushed. No one else has the power to hurt me the way you do."

Olivia felt absolutely terrible. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I had no idea it hurt you this much."

Alex scoffed and held back tears. "Well Liv, I'm not as resilient as you think."

Olivia took Alex's hands into hers and looked deeply into her eyes. "How can I fix this?"

Alex sighed. "By never doing this again. Listen Liv, I know there will be things that'll make you angry, but what you have to realize is that this is _me_. I'm not out to hurt you or upset you even more."

"I know, baby." She kissed Alex's forehead. "I should never have taken my anger out on you. I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, well, I took mine out on you, too. I never should've reacted the way I did. So I'm sorry, too."

Olivia smiled slightly. "Well, I must admit I was pretty shocked. You've never called me a cunt or flipped me off before. And you shoved me so hard. It was a side of you I'd never seen. It hurt. And it scared me."

Alex pulled Olivia to her and placed her head on her chest. Patting her cheek, she said, "I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." She picked Olivia's chin up and pressed her lips against hers. "Do you forgive me?"

Olivia nodded. "Yes, sweetie."

Alex noticed Olivia's eyes tearing up again. "I'm so sorry, Liv," she repeated, squeezing her tightly. "Don't cry. Remember? No more tears."

Olivia returned Alex's embrace. "Ok. But this time I was going to cry in happiness."

Alex sighed happily. "You know this is the best thing to ever happen to us, right?"

Olivia smiled. "You're tellin' me. Never in a million years would I have thought your mom would be so receptive. I thought she hated my guts."

"I guess she's not so bad after all, is she?" Alex said with a grin. "But I don't wanna count my chickens before they hatch. We still have Dad and your mom to tackle."

"We'll be ok," Olivia said confidently. She pulled Alex to her and they held each other in quiet bliss, listening to the sounds of the night.

Several minutes later, they heard another knock at the door. "Come in!" Alex and Olivia said together.

Madeline peeked in. "Olivia, in case you wish to spend the night, I had Janice prepare the room across the hall."

Alex stared at her mother in confusion. "But Mom, Liv always sleeps in my bed," she protested.

"I am well aware of that. But in light of the new circumstances, some changes will go into effect. If you are allowed to continue dating, there are going to have to be some ground rules. First of all, you two are not allowed to spend all your time in this room. Second of all, you will maintain a sense of decorum around the adults in this house; I do not want to see public displays of affection at the dinner table or elsewhere. Third, there will be no more skipping school to spend time together. Oh, and the most important rule of all: no conjugal visits. _Ever_."

Alex's mouth dropped open in shock. "Mom, you don't think we're gonna—"

"I wasn't born yesterday, dear. Goodnight, sweetie." She looked at Olivia. "And goodnight to you, too, _Mike_." And with that, she closed the door.

Alex and Olivia burst into giggles. "Oh my god!" Alex exclaimed. "She knows that was all a setup?"

Olivia nodded. "Yep. Downstairs I told her we just made it up so she wouldn't find out about us."

Alex lay back against her pillows excitedly. "Man, I can't wait to tell the gang tomorrow."

"Me, too! And that bitch Abbie can no longer threaten to rat us out to our parents."

"Oh, that's the best part!" Alex agreed. "Our Abbie problems are finally over for good!"

Olivia began playing with the jewels at the base of Alex's throat. "You know…I'm really gonna miss sleeping in your bed, but this will be worth the sacrifice. Just promise you'll come kiss me goodnight and tuck me in," she joked.

Alex placed a grateful kiss on Olivia's lips. "Promise." All of a sudden, she started laughing again.

Olivia furrowed her brow. "What's so funny?"

"I still can't get over you climbing up to my window. The look on your face—it was priceless. You looked like I'd killed your puppy! And then you had little Tweety in your arms. It was so cute. You were like Spiderwoman or something!" She picked up the smaller Tweety and rubbed it in Olivia's face teasingly.

Olivia pouted. "I was so scared I'd lost you. I couldn't just let you go without making you understand."

Alex kissed her forehead and said, "I'm serious. Don't ever do that again. I was scared shitless for you."

Olivia shrugged and gave her a lopsided grin. "What can I say? You know it's love if your girl is willing to climb up two stories just to win you back."

Alex laughed. "This is true. Hey, we should do something to celebrate!" she exclaimed, plucking a petal off one of her roses.

"Like what?" Olivia asked.

"I dunno. We can go to Chili's. And for dessert we can share the molten chocolate cake," Alex replied with a grin.

"Mmm," Olivia said, licking her lips. She jumped out of bed and held her hand out to Alex. "Come on. Let's embark on our journey to good eats."

"You said it," Alex said, taking Olivia's hand and walking out her bedroom.


	34. Yen

**Chapter 34: Yen**

Olivia squinted at the bright sun pouring through the windows. When she remembered the events that had unfolded the night before, she stretched her arms above her head and smiled. _Man, I'm the luckiest girl in the world_, she thought gleefully.

There was a soft knock at the door. "Come in!" she instructed.

The door opened to reveal Alex, who had a tray with breakfast on it in her arms. Olivia sat up against the headboard and grinned happily. "Good morning, beautiful," she said, admiring the way the sunlight glinted off Alex's blonde locks.

Alex carefully walked over and set the tray across Olivia's lap. "Good morning to you, too, sleepyhead," she responded. She sat down beside Olivia. "I made you breakfast."

Olivia leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I can see that." She took a sip of orange juice and massaged the back of Alex's neck with her other hand.

"I hope I put enough chocolate chips in your pancakes," Alex said. "I wanted them to be chocolatey, but not too sweet."

Olivia picked up her fork and dug into her pancakes. Taking a satisfying bite, she remarked, "These are delicious, sweetie."

Alex smiled proudly. "Glad you like." She pulled the covers up over her and snagged a bite of cantaloupe.

Olivia grinned at her and bit into a sausage link. "Did you eat, baby?"

Alex shrugged a shoulder. "Kinda. I had some fruit and a couple sausages."

"Oh, sweetie…I don't want you to starve yourself at my expense," Olivia said, stabbing a wedge of her stack of pancakes with her fork and holding it out to Alex, who happily accepted.

"Well…I just wanted to do something special for you," Alex replied, wiping some chocolate from the side of her mouth. "What you did last night was really admirable."

"Thank you. It wasn't exactly the way I'd planned to come out to your mom, but in the end it all worked out, didn't it?"

"It sure did." Alex stretched her legs out and sighed contentedly. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too. I really wish we didn't have to go to school today."

"I know," Alex agreed. "But our friends will be so happy for us when they find out."

"Yeah," Olivia responded. "Today will be a better day." She ate a few more bites of food and asked, "If you don't eat more than you have already, you're gonna be wolfing down your lunch _and _half of mine."

Laughing, Alex looked under the covers and saw that Olivia had on nothing but panties. "All of a sudden my hunger has returned."

Olivia smirked. "Is that so now?"

Alex reached under her wife beater and discovered that she had on no bra. "Isn't this a nice surprise?" she asked, kneading the soft flesh of her breasts.

"Alex, you know I never sleep in a bra. And it's not nice to make me horny while I'm hungry."

"Well, how about after you're finished?" Alex asked with a wide grin, removing her hands from under Olivia's top.

"Baby, I'd love to…but you know your mom said no conjugal visits."

"I know," Alex said, trailing a finger up and down the muscles of Olivia's arm. "But conjugal implies night. It's morning now."

Olivia laughed and shook her head. "Playing with semantics can be very dangerous, baby. We can't afford to get caught and have her change her mind about us. We need all the support we can get."

"Sweetie, all we need is each other," Alex said, leaning in to capture her lips in a sensual kiss. When Alex kissed her like that it always meant one thing and one thing only, and Olivia wanted to try as hard as possible not to give into the temptation. So she kissed her back delicately, trying to withhold some of the mounting desire she felt for Alex.

However, Alex would not be deterred. She pulled back slightly, let her hair down, and shook it out all over her shoulders before recapturing Olivia's lips. She placed a kiss on her chin and then moved down to her neck.

Olivia whimpered. "Baby, no. Not the hair thing. You know what it does to me."

"That I do," Alex said huskily. She moved Olivia's tray out of the way, took its place in her lap, and pushed her shirt up over her breasts.

"Alex…baby, please. We can't…we can't," she murmured, closing her eyes as Alex took a tender nipple into her mouth and sucked softly. "Th-that. Can't…ooh…good…"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't understand," Alex said mockingly. "Could you repeat it?"

Olivia desperately tried to make her brain form coherent thoughts as Alex flicked her tongue at the hardened flesh of her other nipple. "Alex, please. Just wait," she said, pushing her back gently.

"But I want you, Liv," Alex said, pouting.

"I want you, too, baby. You have no idea how much," Olivia replied with an aching sigh. "But we need to stop."

"Do we really?" Alex asked, pulling off her own shirt.

Olivia stared at Alex's bare breasts for a few seconds before squeezing her eyes shut. "No. Will not give in," she declared.

Alex laughed and put her shirt back on. "Oh, you. So silly."

Olivia smiled and flipped her shirt back over her breasts. "You're naughty, you know that?"

"I know," Alex said, placing the tray back across Olivia's lap and taking another bite of cantaloupe. "But you love every bit of it."

"I do," Olivia agreed, taking another bite of her pancakes and placing a sticky, chocolate kiss on Alex's cheek.

Alex lifted Olivia's arm and kissed her armpit. Olivia giggled and struggled to bring her arm back down while Alex placed a few more kisses under her arm. "Sweetie! That tickles!"

Alex rubbed her fingers over the soft skin. "Aw, your skin is so soft."

Olivia laughed more and finally managed to rest her arm back at her side. "Baby, what is this? First you try to seduce me then you attack my armpit!"

"It's because I love every single part of you," Alex said, enveloping her mouth again. "Now finish your breakfast so we can cuddle."

"Yes, ma'am," Olivia answered, popping a couple pieces of fruit into her mouth. After finishing her breakfast, she downed the rest of her orange juice and started rubbing Alex's stomach. "Sure you don't want anything else?"

Alex ran her tongue over her top lip and said, "Well, there is something else I want…"

Olivia gently shoved her and replied, "No, silly. I mean _to eat_."

Alex looked down at the significant wet spot on Olivia's underwear and bit her lip. "Oh, trust me. I meant that, too."

Letting out a shocked laugh, Olivia quickly pulled the covers up over her underwear. "Alex, stop ogling my…my…" she stammered, suddenly shy.

"Your pussy?" Alex whispered, her breath warm against her ear. "I'd be doing a lot more to it right now than ogling if only you'd let me."

Olivia's mouth dropped open again. "Alex!"

Alex picked up Olivia's hand and started gently sucking the very tips of her fingers. She looked directly into her chocolate eyes. "You're beautiful, Olivia."

Olivia's heart burst with warmth as she stared back into Alex's piercing blue eyes. "As are you." She brought Alex's head down on her chest and asked, "How much more time before we have to start getting ready?"

Alex looked at her watch. "Um, about 40 minutes."

"Then let's just spend those minutes in each other's arms," Olivia said.

"Ok," Alex agreed, wrapping her arms around Olivia.

"Thank you for my delicious meal," Olivia said.

"You're welcome," Alex responded. "I like cooking for you."

Olivia grinned. "You're a fabulous cook." She twisted a few strands of Alex's hair around her finger and said, "I can't believe my baby will be 16 in two weeks."

Alex let out a little squeal. "I can't believe it either. And best of all I get to share it with you."

"And I plan to make it the most special day of your life."

Alex smiled. "Aww, you're too sweet."

"But I mean every word of it," Olivia replied, kissing her softly on the top of her head.

Alex sighed deeply. "You know I'm not gonna want to go to first period and leave you."

Olivia laughed. "Oh baby, it's only 50 minutes."

"I wish we shared every class together."

"Me, too. But somehow I don't think my focus in Brit Lit would be any better if you were there. I'd be too busy staring at you."

Alex chuckled. "Probably not."

"How is baby Tweety getting along with big Tweety?" Olivia asked teasingly.

Alex grinned. "They get along very well. But I have to wonder if big Tweety is getting a little jealous."

"Can't have that. We'll have to tell the kids to behave," Olivia said.

"Do the pokies like the baby?"

Olivia looked down at her chest. "Are you kidding? It was their idea to get him!"

Alex laughed loudly. "I'm sure it was. Do you always defer to your nipples to save your ass?"

"Of course! They're the sensible ones," Olivia joked.

"Maybe you should listen to them more often then. Or maybe I should be dating _them_."

Olivia grabbed a pillow and hit her with it. "Hey! I resent that," she said, smiling.

Alex giggled. "Just kidding, sweetie."

Forty minutes later, Olivia untangled herself from Alex and said, "Ok, kiddo. Time to get ready."

"But why?" Alex whined, pouting and playing with the front of Olivia's shirt.

"Cuz we don't wanna be late," Olivia said, kissing her on the cheek and getting out of bed.

Staring at her ass, Alex began singing, "I see London, I see France, I see Olivia's underpants!"

Olivia turned around and shook her head. "You're incorrigible."

Alex jumped out of bed and ran up behind her, wrapping her arms snugly around her waist. Olivia giggled. Alex murmured, "I'm so glad you're mine. All mine."

Olivia turned around in her arms and gave her a quick kiss. "Likewise," she responded. "Now we need to go shower."

"Together?" Alex asked hopefully, playing with the hem of Olivia's panties.

Olivia watched Alex's nimble fingers move back and forth. "Sweetie, your mom said we have to behave." She looked back up into Alex's face. "And showering together does not constitute good behavior." She leaned forward and whispered, "At least not unless it involves a certain school locker room and a very naked—" She paused to lick her lips. "—and very limber little gymnast."

Alex blushed furiously. "Liv! And you call _me_ naughty."

"Hey, she said we need to maintain decorum around the house; she didn't say anything about school," Olivia said with a wink.

Alex grinned. "I knew you'd come around."

"Not that it took much convincing," Olivia replied, leaning in to nip the bottom of Alex's ear.

Alex gave Olivia one more long, intimate kiss before she walked over to the door. "I'll be in the shower. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"I sure do," Olivia said, slapping her on the ass and following her out.


	35. A Girl's Best Friend

**Chapter 35: A Girl's Best Friend**

The following Monday, Olivia went with Alex and Madeline to pick out some jewelry for Alex's party. "Wow, I've never been to Cartier before," Olivia said, looking around in awe once they entered the store.

"There's a first time for everything," Alex said, smiling and squeezing her hand.

"This place has absolutely marvelous jewelry," Madeline informed Olivia. "I'm thinking of purchasing a new watch for her father."

"I'm afraid that if I stare too hard something might break," Olivia replied with a nervous laugh.

Madeline chuckled. "Don't worry, dear. You'll be fine."

Alex pulled Olivia straight in the direction of the newest selection of diamond necklaces. "Ooh, that one is pretty!" she said, pointing to a rose-cut solitaire diamond necklace in the glass case.

"Would you like to try it on?" the jeweler asked, walking over to them.

"Sure," Alex said with a smile. The jeweler carefully placed the necklace around her neck; the diamond rested a couple inches below the base of her throat. "How much is it?" she asked, turning to admire how she looked in a nearby mirror and running her fingers over the diamond.

"$28,000," he answered.

"Damn, Alex. What's the limit on your party?" Olivia whispered.

Alex grinned. "There isn't one."

Olivia smiled. "Why am I not surprised?"

Next, Alex picked out a platinum necklace with a pear-shaped center diamond. "Wow…this one is even more gorgeous than the last!"

"A fine choice indeed," the jeweler informed her, placing it around her neck. "This one is $41,000."

Olivia felt as if she were going to faint. Never in her life had she been around such exquisite, expensive jewelry. She could not fathom how anyone could possibly spend so much on something so small.

"Do you like it, Liv?" Alex asked.

Olivia carefully picked up the diamond, which was only slightly warm from being next to Alex's creamy skin. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Alex put her hands on her hips and pretended to be offended. "Most beautiful?"

Olivia grinned. "Ok, next to you, of course."

Alex smiled. "That's better." She tilted her cheek toward Olivia so she could kiss it. Olivia happily obliged.

"You're so adorable," Olivia complimented her.

"Why, thank you, sweetie." Alex looked at a few more selections before deciding to stick with the jewelry she picked out. "I think I'll wear the rose-cut diamond at my dinner party and the pear one at the second stage of my party."

"You're not gonna get anything for the costume stage?" Olivia asked.

Alex thought about it for a few seconds before responding, "Nah. That's when I'll be doing the belly dance. I don't want anything getting in my way."

"Those are beautiful selections, dear," Madeline remarked. "I have some earrings and bracelets that would match perfectly."

"Will you let me borrow a bracelet with the little Cartier panther?" Alex asked hopefully.

Madeline nodded and patted her on the back. "Of course, sweetie."

"If you admire the _Panthère de Cartier_, we have a fabulous new diamond and onyx collection that accentuates the beauty of one of our famous trademarks," the jeweler pitched in. He led them over to the collection and picked up a necklace. The diamond and onyx panther, which was perched within its onyx circle, was suspended from a black silk chord that was graced with diamonds and platinum along the way. Alex's whole face lit up as the jeweler fastened the clasp at her neck.

"What do you think, Liv?" Alex asked, looking at her expectantly and holding her breath.

Olivia was completely mesmerized by the necklace, which seemed to highlight Alex's features more than the others did. It looked as if it had been made especially for her. "It's…it's perfect, sweetie." She looked into her sparkling blue eyes and smiled.

Alex nodded her thanks and turned to her mother. "Mom, look! It would go perfectly with the dress I'm wearing to the dinner party! It'll match the bracelet, too!" she said, practically drooling.

"Darling, you can't wear the rose and this one, too," Madeline replied matter-of-factly. "The goal is to be classy, not tacky."

Alex slightly pouted. "Well…maybe I could wear the rose one for prom? I really do want the panther, Mom."

"How much is it?" Madeline asked, turning to the jeweler.

"It is priced at $58,000," he responded.

Olivia put her hand to her chest and looked to the side while Madeline gave Alex a stern look. "Alexandra, I am not buying all these. Pick the rose-cut solitaire or the panther—not both."

"Mom, Daddy said there wasn't a limit!" Alex whined.

Olivia would have laughed if the sheer disappointment on Alex's face hadn't been so genuine. Madeline rolled her eyes and responded, "I know, but this is impractical. If you don't plan on wearing a necklace at the costume party, then you only need two."

"Ok…well, what if I wear the rose one after I do my dance?" Alex suggested hopefully.

"Alex, that makes no sense," Madeline responded. "Either wear it during the dance or not at all."

"What about prom?"

"You haven't even picked out a dress yet," Madeline replied, crossing her arms.

"Well…I could wear it during the belly dancing, I suppose," Alex responded with a sigh. She turned to the jeweler and asked, "Can you shorten the links so it will fit snug?"

"Yes, that can be arranged. It would be ready by the beginning of next week," the jeweler said.

"Ok," Alex responded, smiling victoriously while the jeweler removed the panther necklace and replaced it with the rose-cut solitaire one to make the appropriate measurements.

Olivia shook her head and chuckled. "Slick, Cabot," she whispered in her ear.

"I know," Alex whispered back, grinning.

Madeline smiled. "Fine, Alex. You may have it, then."

"Oh, thank you, Mom!" Alex exclaimed, throwing her arms around her neck.

"You're welcome, dear," Madeline replied. She sighed. "But you're on a limited budget for prom."

Alex laughed. "Ok, deal."

A few minutes later, Madeline paid for the diamonds Alex wanted and then ushered the girls toward the front of the store. "You girls go on and peruse some other stores. There are a few pieces here that I want to look at further."

"Ok, Mom," Alex replied. She grabbed Olivia's hand and walked out.

Olivia slightly pouted. "You know…I felt kinda lonely in there."

Alex gave her a puzzled look. "Why, baby?"

"Because from the way you drooled over that jewelry, you made it seem as if the saying was really true about a diamond being a girl's best friend."

"Oh Liv, you're my best friend," Alex assured her. She placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Nothing can compare."

Olivia grinned. "You really mean that?"

"I do," Alex replied, kissing her again. "What do you say we go get a smoothie? There's a really awesome place up the street."

"I say that's a fine idea," Olivia replied.

"So how did you enjoy your first Cartier experience?" Alex asked.

Olivia shrugged. "Oh…well…it was different. I felt a little uncomfortable because I've never been in a store like it."

Alex squeezed her hand softly and replied, "Oh, sweetie. I'm sorry you felt uncomfortable. That wasn't my intention. I just don't want to leave you out of anything in my life."

Olivia smiled. "I know, baby. It was just a little strange, is all. But I liked it. Not that I could ever afford anything, but still."

Alex kissed her on the cheek. "Well, you were the most valuable thing in the store."

Olivia beamed. "You sure know how to flatter a girl."

"It's because every word I say is true," Alex replied, smiling sweetly. As soon as they reached the corner, she pulled Olivia to her and deeply kissed her.

A few minutes later, Olivia pulled back, her chest heaving. "Wow. What the hell was that for?"

"Just for being you," Alex responded. "Would you like an encore?"

Olivia grabbed her hand again and replied, "Hmm. That's a tantalizing offer, but I think I need something in my stomach first."

Alex laughed. "And you say _I'm_ the one who's always hungry!"

Olivia smiled. "You are. But I'm a close runner up."

"I'm still trying to convince Mom to let me get a private suite for after the party."

Olivia grinned. "What's she saying so far?"

Alex cocked her head to the side and gave Olivia a look. "She said she'll have to think about it because she has a few concerns. Take a wild guess at what she's worried about."

"Oh, come on! It's your 16th birthday! You want it to end with a bang!" she teased.

"That I do," Alex agreed. "But I don't think she does." They both laughed.

"She's just worried about her little girl growing up and experiencing certain…things," Olivia said, running a finger up and down Alex's stomach.

Alex chuckled. "A little too late for that."

"Well, think about it," Olivia said. "Would you want our 16-year-old daughter having sex? It's one of those things that a lot of parents do before they're parents that they'd never want their kid doing."

"Good point," Alex said. "I don't even wanna think about our kids having sex. Come on, let's just go in and get a smoothie."

"After you, dearie," Olivia replied, smiling and holding open the door.


	36. High Maintenance

**Chapter 36: High Maintenance**

"Alex, for the past week, no one has stopped talking about your party," Serena said at lunch the next day. "This is seriously gonna be the biggest party of the year."

"Yeah, I never thought I'd get to go to prom twice in one year," Elliot joked.

"Are you kidding? This is gonna be so much bigger than prom!" Kathy replied.

Olivia grinned and patted Alex on the back. "My baby is very popular."

Alex groaned. "You should've seen all the people trying to get an invite last week. Olivia had to practically beat them away with a stick."

"Aww, Liv. That's so cute!" Kathy gushed. "You were like her bodyguard."

"Hey, I had to hold back the mob," Olivia said. "Then the next day some kids were so pathetic that they were trying to buy invites from other people."

"Are you serious?" Elliot asked.

"That's really sad," Casey chimed in.

"Speaking of sad," Serena said, jerking her head in the direction of a tall guy walking over to their table. "I think you have yet another admirer, Alex."

Alex groaned again as Trevor Langan came up to her. "So, Alex," he said, leaning near her face and ignoring the daggers shooting out of Olivia's eyes. "What should I wear for the big party?"

Alex leaned back away from him and said, "Nothing. You know, considering how you weren't _invited_."

"Well, I'm sure you just wanted to deliver your invitation personally," he said with a big grin, looking her up and down.

"If you don't distance yourself about 100 feet from Alex within the next 5 seconds, I'm gonna deliver something personally to your face," Olivia said, raising her fist.

"Rawr," Casey said teasingly.

Trevor scoffed at Olivia. "Please. Like I would ever find you a threat."

"That wasn't a threat. That was a _promise_," Olivia said, rising out of her seat.

"I don't have time for this juvenile behavior," Trevor said in disgust. "I'm out of here."

"Yeah, keep walking, dirtbag," Elliot added.

Olivia sat back down. "I cannot believe the nerve of that pompous ass."

"Ugh," Alex said, rolling her eyes. "I went out on one date with that jerk because I lost a bet with Serena, and he still thinks he has another shot."

Olivia frowned at Serena. "You made a bet with Alex on Trevor?"

Serena shrugged. "Hey, if she lost, she had to go out with Trevor. If I lost, I had to go out with Jake Matthews."

"What the hell would you make a bet like that for?" Olivia asked.

Serena smiled at her. "Well, actually, the bet was on you."

"_Me_?" Olivia asked in surprise.

"Yep," Serena confirmed. "I just didn't know it because Alex refused to name the girl who she had this _huge_ crush on. All she told me was that it was a female athlete, but she wouldn't give anything up even though I named every chick I could think of. So I made a bet that she wouldn't ask this mystery chick out by that Friday. Jake wouldn't get off her back and Trevor wouldn't get off mine, so we made a bet that whoever lost had to date the opposite prick. Obviously, Alex was too chicken to ask you out back then."

"When the hell was this?" Olivia wondered.

"At the end of last year. It was during tryouts for cheerleading and girls' basketball," Alex answered. She looked at Serena. "And I didn't tell you because if I'd told you I liked Olivia, you would've gone up to her and told her I had the hots for her."

Serena grinned. "No, I wouldn't have. I would've just announced it on the intercom."

Alex's mouth dropped open. "See! I told ya!"

"Aww, that's so cute," Olivia cooed, leaning over and planting a big kiss on Alex's cheek. Alex grinned widely.

"Yeah, just think about it, Alex. If you had asked Olivia out last year, you could've avoided all the Abbie drama," Casey said.

Alex chuckled. "I know, right? My life would definitely be a lot easier."

"I totally agree," Olivia responded.

"When are your dresses gonna be ready?" Casey asked.

"My dresses should be ready by next week," Alex replied. "And remember, guys. Attire for the dinner party is cocktail."

"How much do you plan on eating at dinner, Alex?" Casey asked. "Are you gonna have any room for the food served at your party?"

Olivia smirked. "Casey, this is Alex we're talking about here. Of course she will."

Alex swatted her arm. "Pay no mind to her. There will only be cake, hors d'oeuvres, and other refreshments there, so I'll have plenty of room."

"What color is your dress?" Kathy asked.

"It's this cute little black, strapless Badgley Mischka number that we got from Saks," Alex said with a proud grin. "And I'm wearing Brian Atwood black d'Orsay pumps to match."

"Wow, someone's high maintenance," Elliot commented.

Olivia chuckled. "You're tellin' me. The shoes cost almost as much as the dress!"

Alex pushed her shoulder. "Oh, come on! Not even! Besides, I didn't hear any complaints about the cost of the dress when I was trying it on."

Olivia smirked. "That's right. I didn't care how much it cost because you looked so fucking hot in it."

"Translation, guys," Casey chimed in. "You don't look at price tags when you get an excuse to see your girl naked in a dressing room."

Olivia picked up her straw paper and threw it at Casey. "Hell, she was smokin'. If Serena was there, I'm sure you would've had the same reaction."

"What's your gown look like?" Casey asked.

Alex grinned. "Can't tell you guys. It'll spoil the surprise."

"Ooh, she's mysterious. I like that," Serena teased.

Alex smirked at Serena. "Ok, so the first stage of my party is the costume party. Everyone will have on Arabian attire. Second comes the formal segment. Any formal gown or suit—in the guys' cases—will be appropriate."

"I bet your costume isn't really a costume," Serena said with a smile.

"Hey, dresses can be costumes!" Alex protested. "Trust me, the dress I'm having made for the costume stage is totally hot. It's very Arabesque."

"Arabesque?" Elliot asked. "Nice word, Alex."

Alex smiled. "And accurate."

"And her cleavage isn't bad in it either," Olivia said, grinning.

Alex laughed and placed a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "You guys should see Olivia's costume. Talk about some major cleavage. She's gonna be the hottest harem dancer I know!"

"What are you gonna be, Elliot?" Kathy asked.

"Probably a sultan," he answered.

"I wish I could just skip out on practice," Alex said, dipping part of a chicken strip in honey mustard dressing. "Daddy's taking Liv and me car shopping today."

"What are you gonna get?" Kathy asked excitedly.

"Range Rover," Alex said, clapping happily.

Olivia shook her head and pinched Alex's cheek. "You're so cute when you're excited."

"Knowing Liv and Alex's record, I hope she gets seat covers," Casey said, nudging Serena in the ribs with her elbow.

Alex gasped in shock. She threw a fry at Casey while everyone at the table laughed, including Olivia. "Oh, please! We do not have a record!"

"Whatever, Alex," Serena said.

"I wouldn't talk if I were you," Olivia chimed in. "Little miss tigress."

"Ooh," Kathy and Elliot said in unison.

Both Serena and Casey's mouths dropped open. "Oh, Liv. You are so going down!" Serena said, retaliating by throwing her own fry at Olivia.

Olivia dodged it. "Ooh, I'm so scared! A fry!" She flexed the muscles of one arm. "Can't compete with these babies."

Alex reached over and squeezed her biceps. "Oh, how I love these."

Olivia smiled at her and licked her lips. "Tell me just how much," she whispered.

"So much for a nice, G-rated lunch," Elliot mused.

"Hey, sex is not the only thing there is to do, ya know," Olivia said. "There _is_ innocent kissing."

"Or just cuddling," Alex added, scooting closer to Olivia. Olivia wrapped her arm snugly around her waist and took a bite of her burger.

"Ah, she can multitask, I see," Elliot teased.

"My baby can do anything," Alex replied. She lifted up Olivia's shirt and rubbed her hand over her stomach. "Look at this six pack, you guys. How hot is that?"

"Elliot has one, too," Kathy replied, lifting up Elliot's shirt to show everyone his well-defined abs.

"Well, Liv. Looks like you have some competition," Serena said.

Olivia waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, please. Hardly."

Elliot grinned. "Jealous much, Liv?"

Olivia let out a chortle. "Doubtful, El. At least mine comes without hair attached."

"I think it's sexy," Kathy said, leaning over to give Elliot a kiss on the lips. "Hair is sexy on a guy."

Elliot smiled at her. "As long as my woman likes it."

Alex reached for Olivia's Skittles. Grinning, Olivia moved them out of her reach. Alex pouted. "Liv, why won't you share with me?" She reached around Olivia to try to get them, but Olivia continued to hold them out of her reach.

"Sweetie, if you ask nicely I will be more than happy to share them with you," Olivia teased.

Alex reached behind Olivia and unlatched her bra. "Hey!" Olivia protested. As she tried to latch her bra back, Alex continued to attempt to retrieve the candy.

"And ya don't even need tickets to see this show," Casey remarked.

"I know, right?" Serena agreed.

"Alex, I swear if you spill my Skittles!" Olivia warned.

"What ya gonna do? Huh?" Alex replied, starting to tickle Olivia under her arm. Olivia retaliated by tickling Alex's stomach, which temporarily thwarted Alex's attempts to get the Skittles.

"Girls, let's play nice," Elliot suggested.

"Tell Liv to share her Skittles!" Alex told him, pushing Olivia's hand away from her stomach.

"Tell Alex to ask nicely!" Olivia shot back.

"Liv, please just give her the Skittles before clothes start coming off," Elliot said.

"Oh, that's not gonna happen," Olivia said, putting her hand over Alex's face.

"Liv, stop! I can't breathe!"

"Fine," Olivia said, using her other hand to reach into Alex's bag and take her glasses. She put them on and teased, "Hello, everyone. I am Alex Cabot, the Skittle thief."

"Liv! Don't play with my glasses! You're gonna break them!"

Olivia pretended to pout. "But I love your glasses. You know I'd never break them."

Sighing, Alex said, "Ok, Liv. Just be careful." She grinned. "You know…you do look kinda cute in them. Now may I please have some Skittles?"

Olivia smiled. "I thought you'd never ask." She poured a generous amount into Alex's eagerly waiting hands.

"Thank you, sweetie," Alex said, popping a few in her mouth. She partially chewed them and proceeded to kiss Olivia.

As Casey watched Alex transfer the Skittles to Olivia's tongue, she commented, "Well, in this case I guess Olivia actually gets to taste the rainbow." Without opening her eyes, Olivia flipped her off and deepened the kiss with Alex.

* * *

As soon as they arrived at the dealership after practice, Alex practically flew across the parking lot. She openly gushed over a java black pearlescent Range Rover with sand interior and walnut trim. She didn't even bother waiting for a sales representative to assist them.

"Alex, don't you want something smaller?" Mr. Cabot asked, making his way over to her.

"No, Daddy! This car is the perfect size! I want the supercharged version!" Alex exclaimed. "I read everything about it already."

"Alex…I'm not so sure if your first car should be $100,000, sweetie," her father said reluctantly.

Alex pouted. "But Daddy," she said, looking up at him and playing with his tie. "This is my dream car! I have to have it!"

Olivia smiled. _She's so cute but so spoiled_, she thought.

John smiled curtly. "Are you sure there isn't room for another car in your dreams?"

"I'm sure. Please! It has a 400 horsepower V8 engine, Oxford leather seats, stainless steel pedals, heated and cooled seats, GPS navigation system, a central, roof-mounted DVD system with 10" display as well as two other 6.5" displays on the back of the front seats—"

"Ok, ok, darling. I get the picture. Fine, Alex. If it's the car you want, it's the car you'll have," her father said, smiling and rubbing her back.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Alex squealed, jumping on her father and tightly wrapping her legs around his waist. Olivia couldn't help but grin to see Alex glowing with such happiness.

"Are the interior and exterior to your liking?" the sales representative asked.

Alex nodded. "Positive."

"Well, I'm sure you're very well read on the vehicle, but let me go over the other features in detail so your father will be up to speed," he replied, smiling. He proceeded to then spend several minutes to explain and demonstrate all the features of the Range Rover.

When he was finished, John asked Alex, "Are you absolutely sure this has everything you want?"

Alex nodded excitedly. "Definitely."

"And you don't wish to look at any other vehicles?" John continued.

Alex shook her head. "No, this is it," she confirmed.

"All right. Well, since we're getting this car, I need to talk a few things over with Mr. Kressler inside. I'll be back, sweetie," John assured her, kissing her on the cheek. He excused himself to talk with the sales representative. Alex squealed loudly.

"I don't have to ask you if you're excited," Olivia joked.

"Ugh! I wish I could get my license today!" Alex whined.

Olivia gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "I'm sure you do."

"Do you think Dad will let me drive it off the lot today?" Alex asked, watching her father and Mr. Kressler go inside the building.

Olivia shrugged. "Probably."

Alex squealed and threw her arms around Olivia's neck. "Oh, I can't wait! I can't wait!"

Olivia chuckled. "Alex, please don't crush all the bones in my neck."

Alex pulled back and rubbed Olivia's neck soothingly. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm just so fucking happy I could do a whole string of back flips all over the lot!"

"Baby, I love you to death, but you know you're spoiled rotten, right?" Olivia said, grinning.

Alex laughed. "This I know." She pulled Olivia close to her. "But I intend to make sure you're spoiled rotten, too. We both have spa appointments on my birthday."

"Can we hold hands while we get our massages?" Olivia asked hopefully.

Alex smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

About a half hour later, John and Mr. Kressler returned. "Ok, she's all yours," Mr. Kressler informed her, handing her the keys.

Alex happily took them and began jumping up and down. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" She opened the driver side door and got behind the wheel. Olivia retrieved their things from Mr. Cabot's car and then got in beside Alex.

Alex's father held the door open before she could close it. "Now, Alex, I trust that you will be careful with this SUV. No speeding, no reckless driving, no horsing around. Olivia, keep her in line for me."

Olivia smiled. "I will, sir."

"Hey, Liv," Alex said.

"Yeah?" Olivia answered.

"What do you think we should name her?"

"How about Pokies?" Olivia teased, giving her a sly grin.

Alex's father furrowed his brow. "Pardon me?" he asked.

Alex and Olivia both started giggling. "Um…inside joke, Dad," Alex explained.

"Ah, I see," he replied.

"Hmm…maybe we should name her Princess," Olivia teased again.

"Now that's fitting," John said, chuckling.

Alex gave her father a look. "Hardly. I'll pass."

"But you're my princess," John replied, patting her on the knee.

_And mine, too_, Olivia thought happily.

"Aw, thank you, Daddy," Alex replied, giving him a grateful kiss on the cheek.

"You have your learner's with you, am I correct?" John questioned.

"Yep," Alex said, flipping open her wallet to show him.

He nodded. "And you have your license with you, Olivia?"

"Yes, sir."

He smiled. "Good. Well, I will trail you girls home."

"Ok," Alex replied. "Oh, Daddy?"

Mr. Cabot turned back around. "Yes, dear?"

"Can I drive to school tomorrow?" she continued, smiling hopefully.

"Sorry, sweetie. You will have to wait until you get your license for that."

Alex frowned and complained, "But I wanna show all our friends!"

"Tell them to come over. If they don't see it there, they will see it at your party."

Alex looked petrified. "Dad, no! That's so lame! Everyone already knows I was supposed to get a Range Rover this week. Please! Oh my god, I swear I'll die of embarrassment if you give it to me as a present at my party!"

John smirked. "If $100,000 vehicles are an embarrassment to you, then sobeit." And with that, he closed her door.

Alex looked at Olivia. "Oh my god, Liv! He can't do this to me, can he?"

Olivia laughed and shook her head. "You're not thankful for small favors, are you?"

Alex sighed and put her key into the ignition. "I'm sorry, Liv. I'm acting like a spoiled brat. I know I should be happy that he's even letting me drive it before I get my license—and that he's buying such an expensive SUV at all."

Olivia reached over and rubbed her thigh. "It's ok, baby. I know you're over the moon."

Alex sighed happily. "Yeah, I am. This is all like such a dream."

Olivia chuckled. "Careful. You wouldn't wanna wake up."

"That's true. Hey, let's test out the sunroof!" Alex said, pressing the button to open it.

"Nice," Olivia said, looking up at it.

"And isn't this rearview camera cool?" Alex asked, putting her car in reverse and backing out carefully.

"It's awesome, sweetie. I'm so proud you got what you wanted," Olivia agreed.

Alex put her foot on the brakes and replied, "I have everything. You, my dream car, you, the party of the century, and of course, you." She smiled sweetly at Olivia.

Olivia chuckled. "Aw, I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Alex said, leaning forward and hugging her tightly. Olivia happily returned the embrace.

Alex pulled back and plugged in her iPod. She looked at Olivia and smiled. "I thought we could listen to some tunes on the way."

"Sounds good to me," Olivia said.

"You know…we could listen to yours if you want. You have your iPod with you, right?"

"Yeah, but it's ok, Alex. Really. We can listen to mine some other time," Olivia replied.

"Ok, cool." Alex looked down at her dashboard. "I cannot believe all the stuff this car has! You're gonna have to help me figure some of it out. This sound system is so amazing. And this navigation system really is—" Alex began.

Alex was interrupted by her father honking his horn twice. She looked in her rearview mirror and laughed. "Ok, I think that's Dad's sign for me to get a move on things."

"I'll say," Olivia said.

After they had been driving for a few minutes, Alex gasped, "Oh my god, I can't believe I completely forgot!"

Olivia wrinkled her brow. "What?"

"Can you reach in the backseat and get baby Tweety out of my bookbag?" Alex asked with a grin.

Laughing, Olivia reached behind her and retrieved the stuffed animal. "Oh boy. I knew there was something missing." She sat Tweety on the dashboard.

"Aww, look at him! He's so cute!" Alex cooed. She poked Tweety in the stomach with a finger. "Maybe we should name my Range Rover Tweety!"

Olivia shook her head fervently. "No. No, no, no, no. We have two Tweeties already. We don't need a third."

Alex laughed. "I guess that's true. Well, maybe we don't need to name the car after all."

"Nah. It's fine just like it is," Olivia agreed.

"You know," Alex began, stopping at a red light. "We should go camping one weekend. Just the two of us, or maybe with Serena and Casey."

"You mean you're actually willing to sleep in a tent?" Olivia teased.

Alex shrugged a shoulder. "Well, sure. As long as you were there to protect me from the bugs and spiders and stuff."

"You mean all the creepy crawlies."

"Precisely," Alex answered, giving her a grin.

About 20 minutes later, Alex drove up her driveway, activated the garage door, and parked inside. She squealed loudly and got out of the car. "Oh my god, I still can't believe it!" She grabbed her things and ran to the door. Olivia followed her inside.

"Mom! Mom!" Alex shouted, walking through the kitchen.

Janice was preparing dinner. "Miss Alexandra, Mrs. Cabot is not in yet. Her meeting is running a bit late."

Alex groaned. "Figures." She sighed and reached for Olivia's hand. "Come on, Liv. Let's go upstairs."

Facing each other, they cuddled up in Alex's bed. "Does your dad know about us yet?" Olivia asked.

Alex sighed. "I'm not sure. I don't think Mom told him or I'm sure he would've said something to me. I don't know how exactly he'll react, so I'm holding off until after my party. What about your mom?"

Olivia sighed, too. "I don't know about her. We still pretty much aren't on speaking terms. And she's still drinking." She shook her head. "I wish things were different. If she keeps acting like this, I'll never be able to sit her down and tell her without her behaving irrationally."

Alex softly stroked her face. "Well, whenever you wanna do it, we'll do it together. Let's try it one weekend."

Olivia smiled and grasped her hand. "Thanks, baby."

"I can't wait until our dresses are ready," Alex said. "You look so gorgeous in them."

Olivia blushed. "Oh, sweetie. You look gorgeous in yours as well."

They closed their eyes and held each other for several minutes until Alex's cell phone began ringing. Groaning, Alex fumbled around until she located it. "Hello?"

"Hey, babe. What's up?" Serena asked.

"Just cuddling with Liv."

Serena giggled. "Well, sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to know if you got your car?"

Alex sat up in bed. "Yep! Oh my god, I absolutely adore it! It has everything I want. You guys can come over and see it if you want."

Serena looked at Casey and grinned. "Ok, we'll be over in like a half hour or so."

"You guys wanna stay for dinner?" Alex offered.

Serena took the phone away from her ear and asked Casey, "Dinner at Alex's?"

"Sure," Casey answered.

Putting the phone back to her ear, Serena told Alex, "Ok, yeah. That's fine."

"Good, then I guess Liv and I will see you whenever you get here."

"Ok, bye," Serena said, closing her phone.

"When are they coming?" Olivia asked.

"Serena told me to give them about a half hour. In the meantime, that gives us a half hour to spend alone cuddling."

Olivia grinned. "And that's my second favorite thing to do with you."

"What's your most favorite?" Alex asked.

"Kissing you," Olivia replied, softly capturing her lips.

Alex pulled back momentarily. "Wait a minute, I thought it was—"

Olivia tapped her on the nose. "Sweetie, contrary to popular belief, I'm not always horny. Sometimes I'd rather just kiss. Besides, kissing leads to cuddling which can lead to other things…"

"Good point," Alex said, resuming their kiss.


	37. The Perfect Measure

**Chapter 37: The Perfect Measure**

Olivia ran up the steps to Elliot's house and rapped her knuckles on the front door.

"It's open!" he yelled from inside.

Olivia pushed open the door and walked into the living room. "Hey."

"What's up, Liv?" Elliot asked, moving over on the couch so Olivia could sit down.

Olivia leaned back against the pillows. "Well…as you know, Alex got her car a couple days ago."

Elliot laughed. "How could I not know? That's practically all she's talked about at lunch for the past couple days." He regarded Olivia carefully. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Olivia sighed. "Not exactly. But I'm starting to feel more than a little uncomfortable with all this. I mean…she spent way over $200,000 in _two days_. And that's just on jewelry and a car! Our dresses are being custom made and together they're several thousand dollars as well. I just don't understand how someone could blow that much money on trivial stuff. She's too spoiled for her own good."

Elliot did a quick eyebrow jump. "I agree, Liv. That's all pretty excessive. But you only turn 16 once. She just wants her party to be memorable. Besides, you knew this was going to be over the top. It's Alex Cabot we're talking about here."

"I know, El…but she just throws away money. Her parents didn't even give her a limit on how much she could spend on this party. It makes me feel inadequate. How are we going to build a life together—just the two of us? I want to be able to share equally in the expenses and I can't if she wants to live in a fucking million dollar house and have $100,000 vehicles all her life."

"Liv, this is just one time, though. She doesn't spend this much on a weekly basis. I'm sure you'll be able to compromise on things you share that far into the future."

Picking up a piece of notebook paper, Olivia absently began tearing off pieces and balling them up. "What about our first apartment? She's gonna want to get this penthouse or condo, and we all know I could never afford anything like that. I want to be able to pay half on everything. I refuse to live off her money and have her supporting _me_."

Elliot shook his head. "You're worrying too much, Liv."

Olivia gaped at him. "Am I? It will be at the most a couple years until we get our own place. She's gonna want to dip into that trust fund and go crazy with everything, and I'll feel like shit. We have a really great relationship and I don't want to damage it by arguing about money."

"Like I said, Liv. When you reach that point, then you can discuss things and reach a common ground. Sure, she likes money but not as much as she likes you. It's not _that_ big of a deal. Definitely nothing to lose sleep over."

Olivia folded her arms and gave him a look. "So if Kathy was filthy rich and spent all this money for just her _birthday_, you wouldn't have a problem with it?"

"I'm sure I would at first, Liv, but I'd get over it. This party should be all about what _she_ wants and what makes her happiest. Sure, rich kids can be annoying, but those are the ones who think everyone else is a sack of crap. Alex isn't like that. She doesn't have a preppy little clique, she's pretty down to earth, and she genuinely cares about all her friends. I'll admit I thought she was a snob, but that's before I got to know her and saw how much she loved you."

Olivia smiled in spite of herself. "I guess you're right. I know she loves me more than anything, but I just…I dunno…I just always wanna be enough for her, you know? She comes from this kind of life where she's always had really nice things, and I don't want her to hate me for taking her out of her element."

Elliot put a hand comfortingly on her back. "Liv…she could never hate you. I mean, I've seen the way this girl tears down the halls like the building's on fire to get to you. She loves you for you, not for what you can give her. But all she wants to do with this party is splurge and make sure we all have a good time. She has us all arriving in a limo, a private dinner beforehand, and a special VIP section for us at her party, for crying out loud. She isn't being entirely selfish, Liv."

"I know, El. I'm not saying that she's selfish, just a little too spoiled. I mean, I love spoiling her, too and she likes spoiling me, but I'm always worried that my gifts will never measure up to the stuff she's used to. I promised her that I was gonna make her birthday the most special day of her life like she did mine, but how can I compete with all this shit?" She angrily threw a ball of paper onto the floor.

Elliot picked it up and threw it into the wastebasket. "So you're afraid she's not gonna like the stuff you got her for her birthday?"

Olivia looked down. "Yeah, kinda."

Elliot smiled at her. "Oh come on, Liv. You know that's not true. I think you're more worried that she won't like your presents the _best_."

Olivia gave a lopsided smile. "Maybe."

"Liv, you could gift wrap a rock and give it to her and she'd bring it to lunch and show everyone."

Olivia laughed. "Come on, Elliot. You're completely exaggerating there."

Elliot shrugged. "Yeah, maybe you're right about that one. But the point is that she values anything to do with you above all else. Just let her have her cake and eat it, too for her sweet 16. I know if I had a daughter and had all the money Alex does, I'd wanna make it as special for her as possible."

Olivia patted him on the back. "Thanks, El. I know I can always depend on you to get my head straight."

Elliot ruffled her hair. "That's what best friends are for."

* * *

Later that evening, Olivia opened her front door to find Alex standing before her, smiling brightly. "Hey, baby," she said, pulling her to her and planting a quick kiss on her lips. She looked out and saw Alex's new Range Rover parked in her driveway. "What are you doing here?"

"Daddy let me drive my car since I told him I was only coming over here, and I promised him I wouldn't get on the highway." She ran her fingers through Olivia's wet locks. Olivia had on a white wife beater and some gray sweatpants, both of which were slightly damp. Alex grinned. "Just get outta the shower?"

"Yeah, I did as a matter of fact. What's up?"

"I just wanted to spend some time with you," Alex replied, putting her hands on Olivia's waist and moving in close.

"Nothing wrong with that," Olivia said, smiling and kissing her again.

Alex looked down at Olivia's chest and said, "I can see through your top."

Olivia grinned. "That's cuz my boobs are still wet."

"Mmm…I noticed," Alex said, slipping her hands under Olivia's shirt.

"Feeling frisky, Cabot?" Olivia teased.

"Just a little," Alex said, smiling deviously. She grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her mouth to hers.

Once the kiss ended, Alex grabbed her hands and pulled her outside. "Hey, wait a minute, don't you wanna come in and sit down?" Olivia asked. "It's chilly out here."

Alex noticed Olivia's nipples hardening through her top and said, "I can tell." She reached out and gently pinched one.

Olivia laughed and shook her head. "Is that the only reason you made me come out here?"

"Well…I didn't exactly plan on making you come right here," Alex teased.

Olivia playfully pushed her shoulder. "Alex! Potty mouth!"

"Hey, I learn from the best," she replied. Pushing her into the side of her SUV, she placed her palms against Olivia's and linked their fingers. "I wanna take you someplace special."

Olivia raised her eyebrows and smiled. "We're not gonna get in trouble, are we?"

"Of course not. But anyway, what happened to your daring side?"

Olivia chuckled. "I'm saving it for a rainy day. So where are we going?"

"I can't tell ya. It's a surprise."

Olivia couldn't help but smile at the excitement on Alex's face. "Well, let me go in the house and get a jacket for this little surprise," she said, pulling away.

Alex grabbed a hand and pulled Olivia back toward her. "No, that's ok. I have an extra jacket and a couple throws in the backseat. We have plenty to keep us warm."

Olivia went around to the back and popped up the trunk door of her SUV. She moved the throws to the side and pulled out the extra jacket Alex had been referring to. She gave her a look. "You mean my letter jacket is the _extra_ you just happen to have stashed away?"

Alex shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "Well…it smells like you so I like to sleep with it."

Olivia shook her head. "And here I was thinking that it was buried underneath a pile of clothes in my closet."

Alex folded her arms and pretended to be mad. "How did your closet get dirty so fast?"

Olivia shrugged. "I'll clean it up later. I guess I got caught up in other stuff."

Alex draped her arms across Olivia's shoulders. "Ok. I'll let you off the hook this time. Come on, let's get going."

They got inside and Alex started the engine. "Seatbelt on, Liv?" she asked, backing out her driveway.

Olivia smiled. "Yes, _Mom_."

"Just making sure," Alex said, adjusting the heat. "Is your seat too warm?"

Olivia shook her head. "Nah, it's just right."

"Good," came the reply.

"You know, it feels so weird to have you driving me around," Olivia remarked.

"Why?" Alex asked, flipping her signal on and turning right.

Olivia shrugged. "I guess I'm just so used to driving you."

Alex spared a glance at her and smiled. "We can split it. I'll drive sometimes and you'll drive sometimes. I really look forward to picking you up for school. I know you get annoyed sometimes when you have to wait for me, so it'll motivate me to get ready earlier."

Olivia smiled and put a hand on Alex's thigh. "It's ok, sweetie. I don't mind driving you around—even when I do have to wait 3 hours for you to decide which shirt looks better and we barely make it before the second bell."

Alex gave a deep, throaty laugh. "I so do not take that long in the morning!"

"Ok, I wasn't being fair. It's really more like 2.5 hours," she teased. Alex picked up little Tweety off her dashboard and threw it at her.

After they had been driving a few more minutes, Olivia asked, "So you're not gonna even give me a hint to where we're going?"

Alex shook her head. "Nope. You'll see in a little while."

Olivia looked over at the navigation system. Alex reached her hand out to cover the screen. "Hey! No peeking!"

Olivia put her hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok."

A little while later, Alex turned off the road onto a rocky trail leading into the woods. Olivia smirked and commented, "You're really taking this whole off-roading thing seriously, aren't you?"

Alex grinned. "Hey, you know Range Rovers are made for rugged terrain. This baby rides smooth on and off the road."

"If you say so, babe," Olivia replied, looking out the window at the trees whizzing by.

Alex followed the trail until she drove up to the top of a waterfall. Olivia stared in awe at the sight before her. "This place is absolutely gorgeous, Alex."

Alex smiled over at her. "I knew you'd love it." She unlocked the doors so they could get out.

Olivia opened the trunk and retrieved the throws while Alex pulled out two thermoses filled with warm tomato soup. Alex found a perfect spot on the smooth rock surface just a few feet away from the crisp, cascading water. She took a throw from Olivia and placed it on the rocks. Once they had sat down, Alex placed the other throw across their shoulders.

Olivia looked around appreciatively. "This is so serene."

"I know," Alex agreed. She opened up her thermos and took a sip. "Mmm…I love tomato soup."

Olivia took a sip as well. "Me, too." She tenderly brushed some of Alex's hair back behind her ear. "Thank you for bringing me out here."

"You're very welcome," Alex replied, kissing her on the cheek.

Olivia grinned. "How long have you planned this?"

Alex shrugged. "It came to me in the middle of the day. When I was a little girl, my grandfather used to bring me here for walks sometimes and I would always marvel at the waterfall. After you dropped me off, I looked up the directions online."

"Thank God for Mapquest or we would've been driving around for hours like we did when I first tried to find the cabin."

Alex poked her in the stomach. "All part of the adventure."

The gentle roar of the rushing water was both romantic and relaxing. Olivia turned Alex's chin toward her and let her lips brush across hers. Alex returned the kiss and parted her lips so that Olivia's tongue could slip through. Olivia placed a hand on the back of her neck and deepened the kiss. After the kiss ended, Alex placed her head on Olivia's shoulder and the two sat in silence for several minutes. Occasionally, they took sips from their thermoses. Olivia picked up a pebble and threw it into the water. "At least now we have a new getaway spot."

Alex smiled. "Yeah. We'll have to come back up here some weekends."

"Maybe we can start a little fire and roast some marshmallows," Olivia suggested.

"We can roast hotdogs, too!" Alex said excitedly.

After another hour, it began to get dark. "Come on, we should be getting back," Alex said, standing up.

"Yeah. I don't wanna stay out here too late or else I'll have to fight off wild animals," Olivia said with a smile.

Alex returned the smile. She loved Olivia's protective nature. "Yeah, we definitely don't want that wife beater torn by some animal's angry paws."

Olivia chuckled. "Actually, the only little paws that would try to tear my shirt off belong to a certain soon-to-be birthday girl."

Alex laughed and folded the throws while Olivia grabbed the thermoses. Olivia was about to open the passenger door when Alex said, "No, wait. Let's cuddle for a few more before we go back."

"We're gonna cuddle in the dark?" Olivia asked.

"No," Alex responded. "I'll turn on the interior lights."

They climbed in the back and cuddled up together. Alex laid her head in Olivia's lap and said, "Man, I wish my party was this weekend. I don't know if I can wait another week!" When Olivia didn't say anything, Alex continued, "Are you excited for my party, Liv?"

Olivia played with some of Alex's hair. "You know I am," she said softly.

Alex noticed that Olivia seemed a little reserved. She sat up and asked, "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Nothing, really," Olivia replied.

"Yes, there is, Liv. Come on, tell me," Alex prodded gently.

Olivia sighed. "Well…I was thinking about our future and all. Would you be happy with me if we were poor?"

Alex wrinkled her forehead. "What spurred this?"

"I was just thinking about when we'd get our first place together. I want us to be able to split everything half and half and I'm not gonna be able to pay half on a luxury apartment."

Alex laughed and kissed her on the cheek. "Oh, silly. Stop worrying about things like that. We'll find a place we both like and can afford."

"But you didn't answer my question," Olivia said. "Would you be happy with me if we were poor?"

"Liv, we'll never be poor," Alex said matter-of-factly.

Olivia frowned, a little disappointed that Alex was dodging her question. "That still doesn't answer it."

Alex placed a hand on Olivia's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "Sweetie, yes, I would be happy with you if we were poor. I'd give up everything I had if it came down to it just so I could be with you. Why would you ever think I wouldn't?"

Although she took comfort in Alex's sincere words, Olivia still sighed and looked around her Range Rover. "I dunno. It's just that sometimes I feel like I don't measure up to all the expensive stuff you have."

"Liv, you're the perfect measure. I couldn't ask for anything greater than you," Alex declared, kissing her from the depths of her soul.


	38. Portrait

**Chapter 38: Portrait**

"Wake up, sweetie," Olivia murmured, straddling Alex's waist and looking down at her. It was 5:15 a.m.

Alex sleepily forced her eyes open and smiled up at Olivia. "Good morning, baby."

"Happy birthday, beautiful," Olivia said, leaning down to kiss her.

"Thank you," Alex said. She brushed some hair out of Olivia's face. "I love the way your hair falls in your eyes when you look down at me. It's so sexy."

Olivia grinned. "What can I say? I aim to please. That's why I made you breakfast," she said, getting off Alex, picking up a tray off the nightstand, and placing it across Alex's lap. It contained French toast topped with fresh berries and powdered sugar along with three slices of Canadian bacon, scrambled eggs, and freshly squeezed orange juice. There was also a single long-stemmed red rose beside the plate.

"Aww, thank you, sweetie," Alex said, leaning over and giving her a kiss. "Ooh, I love French toast!"

"Not just regular French toast. They're stuffed with a cream cheese and strawberry filling I made," Olivia said, smiling proudly.

Alex looked at her in happy surprise. "Oh my god, you didn't!"

"I did," Olivia replied.

"Oh, I can't wait to taste!" She excitedly reached for her knife and fork to cut into her French toast, but Olivia took her utensils away. Alex pouted. "Liv! Why must you tease me?"

"No, I wanna feed you," Olivia said, cutting off a piece and holding it out to Alex's mouth.

Alex's eyes rolled up to the sky. "Oh my god, this is _delicious_. Never in my life have I had French toast _this_ good."

Olivia blushed. She always loved it when Alex praised her cooking. "Thank you, sweetie." She cut off a piece of the Canadian bacon and scooped up some eggs for Alex.

"These eggs are extra cheesy," Alex observed. "They're really good."

"Well, I know how much you like cheese," Olivia replied. Alex expectantly held open her mouth. Olivia smirked and hurriedly prepared another forkful. "Apparently I'm not fast enough for those little chompers."

"What can I say?" Alex asked around her mouthful. "I'm starved!"

Olivia chuckled. "What else is new?"

"Well, actually—" Alex began.

Olivia filled Alex's mouth with another forkful of food. "Baby, it was a rhetorical question."

"Today is going to be such a long day," Alex said, picking off a raspberry. "Is it bad that I don't even wanna go to my party anymore, but I just wanna stay in bed all day with you?"

Olivia laughed. "Sweetie, I'd like nothing more than to stay in bed with you all day, but you've been planning this party for weeks! You only turn 16 once."

Alex sighed. "I guess you're right," she replied, accepting another bite of French toast and drinking some orange juice.

Olivia dipped a finger into some of the cream filling. Smiling, Alex sucked it off and said, "Yummy." She reciprocated by dipping her finger into the filling, lifting Olivia's top, and tracing it over her nipples. After sucking the filling off, she said, "Yummier."

Olivia smiled. "I didn't know that my nipples were also on the menu."

"I had to wake them up," Alex responded. "Didn't want them to miss out on this awesome breakfast."

"Which is almost gone," Olivia observed.

"I just want to bury my face in your boobies," Alex said, grinning and pushing her tray aside when she was finished eating.

"Good, cuz the pokies wanna wish you 'Happy Birthday' anyway," Olivia teased, lifting up her top again and dangling her breasts over Alex's face.

"Thank you, pokies," Alex said, smiling and playing with her nipples. She then pulled Olivia directly down on top of her and held her face in her hands. "My, are you gorgeous."

"So are you," Olivia said, kissing her lips. "So how does it feel to be 16?"

Alex grinned. "Wonderful. I feel like I've waited forever for this day."

"Aww. Well, listen. I have some very special presents for you," Olivia said, giving her another kiss.

Alex giggled. "Do I get one of them right now?" She lightly squeezed a nipple.

Olivia smiled. "I dunno…we'll have to be quiet. When I made breakfast no one was up, and the last thing I wanna do is wake them and get caught."

"We'll be really quiet, I promise," Alex said.

Olivia chuckled and stroked Alex's neck. "I dunno, Al. I don't mean to brag, but never have I known you to be quiet by the time I'm through with you."

Alex playfully shoved her shoulder. "Liv!"

"I bet I can make you come by just kissing you," Olivia challenged.

Alex laughed. "Oh, please! I bet you can't!"

"Is that a dare, Miss Cabot?" Olivia asked with a grin.

"I believe so, Miss Benson," Alex answered.

Olivia stripped off her wife beater along with her shorts and panties. She then settled back on top of Alex and pulled the covers up over them. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes, let's," Alex said, licking her lips and highly anticipating her next move.

Olivia helped Alex out of her tank top and slowly massaged the soft flesh of her breasts. She flicked her tongue at her nipples and then took the tender flesh into her mouth to suck firmly but gently.

"Mmm…Liv," Alex moaned as Olivia let go of one of her nipples with a soft _plop_.

Olivia moved up to capture her lips and began nibbling lightly. As soon as Alex parted her lips, Olivia tilted her head and slowly pushed her tongue inside to circle hers. Sucking it tenderly, she pressed their breasts together and grabbed a handful of Alex's hair.

Alex slid her hand down to Olivia's center to find her bundle of nerves. As Alex pinched her clit, Olivia pressed her tongue harder against Alex's before chasing it around her mouth. Alex curved a finger and started to push it inside Olivia's sex when Olivia pulled back.

"Trying to break my concentration, Alex?"

Alex giggled. "No. I'm just trying to give you pleasure, too."

"Oh, trust me. I'm getting it," she replied, straddling Alex's thigh.

"I can tell. Gosh, you're wet," Alex said.

Olivia brought her tongue up the side of her neck and said, "Doesn't take much when it's you." She once again consumed Alex's mouth.

After a few more minutes, Alex whined, "Liv…Liv, stop! You're cheating!"

Olivia laughed. "How am I cheating?"

"Because you keep rubbing your crotch against my thigh…you're getting your juices on me!"

Olivia smirked. "Not like it's the first time." Lifting herself off her thigh a little, she dipped her fingers into her sex and brought some of her own wetness to her tongue.

"Oh fuck, Liv," Alex said as she watched intently.

Olivia slipped her tongue inside her mouth again. Alex moaned as Olivia massaged her tongue with her arousal. The taste of Olivia was enough to drive her crazy. Olivia plucked off a rose petal and sensually traced it over Alex's nipple. Her nipple rose to meet the delicate, silky texture of the petal.

It wasn't long before Alex was shuddering lightly against her. Olivia pulled back with a smug smile. "See, told you I could make you come by just kissing you."

Alex smiled. "Liv, you didn't just kiss me. You were rubbing my breasts, too."

"And you liked it, didn't you?" Olivia teased, dragging the petal over her nipple again.

Alex sighed contentedly. "That feels really good."

Olivia gave her a lopsided grin. "As good as my tongue?"

Alex smirked. "Not that good."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Miss Alexandra, are you awake?" Janice asked.

The girls scrambled to get their clothes on. "Shit!" Alex muttered. "Um…yeah! Hold on a sec!" she yelled. She jumped out of bed and rushed over to the door to open it. "Yes?"

"Happy birthday," Janice greeted her, walking in and setting a large vase of pink roses on her desk. "These are from your father."

Alex bent over to smell the roses. "These are lovely. I'll have to go thank him."

"What would you like for breakfast?" Janice asked.

"Oh…" Alex began, quickly looking at Olivia before turning back to Janice. "Liv made me breakfast this morning. But thanks."

Janice smiled politely. "I'll take your tray. Is there anything else you need?"

Alex shook her head. "No, thanks."

Janice turned to Olivia. "Would you like anything?"

Olivia smiled. "No, thanks. I'm fine."

After Janice made her exit, Alex ran over and pulled Olivia out of bed. She then jumped in her arms. "Today is gonna be soooooo great!"

Olivia grinned and bounced Alex against her waist. "I know. I'm so excited for you, sweetie. So what's first on the agenda?"

Alex leaned down and planted a quick kiss on her lips. "Take a guess."

Olivia laughed. "Getting the license, huh?"

Alex nodded excitedly. "Yes! We're going down to the DMV as soon as it opens!"

Olivia put her down on the floor. "Are you ready? Did you practice your parallel parking more?"

Alex nodded again. "Yep! I'm all set! Then I'm driving us to the spa. Full body massage, facials, sugar mochi polish, manicure, pedicure, waxing—"

Olivia gaped at her. "Wait, waxing? What _kind _of waxing exactly?"

Alex grinned. "Well, I had just planned eyebrow but we can also do full Brazilians if you'd like."

"No way!" Olivia said, shaking her head vigorously. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Alex laughed at Olivia's apparent discomfort. "It's ok. I was saving those for prom anyway."

Olivia looked at her in disbelief. "Never. Prom night I expect to get some and I can't get any if my pussy is on fire!"

Alex laughed again. "We'll get them a few days earlier."

Olivia still shook her head. "No way in hell. I'm supposed to leave the spa with a smile on my face, not tears."

Alex decided to drop the subject for now. "So after the spa, we have to get our hair done."

"Then comes the best part, right?"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Putting on our dresses for dinner?"

Olivia shook her head. "No, it's when we party beforehand in the bathtub."

Alex smiled. "I should've known. But we can't party for too long. The makeup artists will be here at 3:45."

"Cool," Olivia responded. "Anyway, I wanna give you your first_ real_ present."

Alex clapped her hands excitedly. "Ooh, I can't wait!"

Olivia smiled. "You gotta close your eyes, though."

Alex closed her eyes and Olivia went into the bedroom across the hall. When she returned, she brought with her a large painting covered by a brown tarp. "Keep them closed…" Olivia murmured as she pulled the tarp off. "Ok, you may open them now."

Alex opened her eyes and tears immediately pooled. She looked up at Olivia with shock, appreciation, and love. "Oh my god, Liv…"

"Do you like it?" Olivia asked nervously.

Alex studied the portrait, which was of her posing in a standing split scale on the balance beam. She gingerly ran her fingers over the painting. "I love it. Gosh, this is beautiful. The details, the color, the grace…everything is so…_perfect_. How long did this take you?"

Olivia grinned proudly at Alex's praise. "Several weeks."

"How did you hide this from me?" Alex asked in wonder. "I had no clue you could paint!"

Olivia laughed. "I put it in my attic."

Alex wrapped her arms around Olivia's neck and hugged her tightly. "This is the most wonderful birthday present I've ever received. Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome," Olivia replied, hugging her back. "But I'm sure it won't compare to all the other things you'll get today," she mumbled.

"No, Liv," Alex said, placing her hands on her cheeks and looking into her eyes. "This is the best. Nothing else can even begin to compare. I've never had any portraits done of me. I know this is purely from your heart. You worked so hard on it, and painting isn't the easiest activity. Everything else I've gotten, everything else I will get, can be replaced. This cannot."

Olivia gave her signature lopsided grin. "Not even your Range Rover?"

"Not even it," Alex said, kissing her softly.

"I know how much gymnastics means to you," Olivia responded. "I wanted to do something to show you how proud I am of you."

"I love you so much," Alex replied, kissing her again. "Come on, help me hang this up on my wall."

"Which wall?" Olivia asked, helping her lift the heavy frame.

"The one to the right of my bed. I wanna be able to turn on my side at night and stare at it for hours."

Olivia smiled. "Ok."

After the painting was firmly secured on Alex's wall, they stood back and admired it. "It looks so gorgeous. That's the perfect spot for it. Wait, get a picture of me under it," Alex said, running over to get her digital camera.

Olivia took a couple pictures and then Alex took the camera from her. "Ok, your turn!" she said.

Olivia laughed and posed while Alex took the pictures. "I'd raise my leg above my head but I don't think I'm that flexible."

"Oh, trust me. You're very flexible," Alex assured her.

There was another knock at the door. "Who is it?" Alex asked.

"Mom and Dad," Madeline said through the door.

Alex opened the door and greeted her mother and father with a kiss. She turned to her father and thanked him for the roses.

"You're welcome, sweetie," John replied. He turned to Olivia and waved. His eyes then caught sight of the painting above her. "That is an absolutely beautiful painting, Alex. Is this a present from Olivia?"

Alex nodded excitedly. "Yes! And Olivia painted it herself!"

Her father nodded appreciatively while Madeline went over to examine the painting. "It looks professional, Olivia," she complimented her.

Olivia blushed under the attention her painting was being given. "Thank you," she responded shyly.

"You certainly have quite a fine talent, young lady," John told her.

Alex put her arm around Olivia's shoulders and replied, "Yep. She certainly does. So what's up?" she asked, looking at the present in her father's hand.

John looked at Madeline with a knowing smile and then presented the gift to Alex. "I hope you enjoy this, Alex," he said.

Alex tore off the wrapping paper to reveal a 17-inch MacBook Pro. She could barely get it out of the packaging fast enough. "Oh my god, I was drooling over this in the Apple store! Thank you so much, Daddy!"

Her father gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You're welcome."

"I also have a special present for you, but it's not going to be delivered until early afternoon," Madeline said.

"But Mom, Liv and I have spa appointments at 12:30," Alex reminded her.

"I know, dear. But the test won't take that long and I already called to make sure you get yours first."

Alex grinned. "Really?"

"Yes," her mother replied with a smile. "Well, your father and I will let you enjoy your new laptop. Make sure you're ready at 9:30 sharp so he can take you to the DMV."

"Ok, Mom. We'll be ready," Alex promised. She hugged her father tightly and exclaimed, "I'm so excited about my license!"

John patted her back. "I know, darling. But remember to drive safely. I don't want anything happening to my little girl."

Alex gave him a look. "Come on, Daddy. You know I'm gonna be careful. And I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I know, sweetie," he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you in a couple hours."

After her parents left, Alex grabbed Olivia's hand and pulled her over to her bed. "Let's play with my MacBook!"

Olivia grinned. "You're so cute when you're excited."

Alex powered up her laptop. "I'm so glad this has a fully-charged battery," she muttered. As she went through the setup process, she groaned, "Ugh, is it really necessary for them to greet me in a thousand different languages?"

Olivia laughed and patted her back. "I know, sweetie. You wanna play."

"Ooh, it has a built-in iSight camera!" Alex exclaimed. "Come on, Liv! Let's make a video together."

"Right now?" Olivia asked in wonder.

"Yes, right now! But first let me take a pic with it for my user profile."

Olivia reached over and pulled down Alex's ponytail. "I love it when your hair is down."

After taking the picture, Alex said, "Ok. Let's play! Time for me to begin my video archive of my awesome girlfriend."

Olivia smirked. "Why do I have a feeling this could get us in trouble?"

Alex gave a sly smile. "No, Liv. Trouble is more like this," she said, pulling Olivia to her in a passionate kiss. When the kiss ended, she replayed the video for them to see. "Wow, you're so hot when you kiss. I'm definitely saving this."

Olivia shook her head and laughed. "That is pretty sexy. Will you email that to me?"

"You know it," Alex replied. "Let's make another." She pressed her lips to Olivia's and slipped her hands under her top.

Olivia removed her hands and pulled back. "Hold on a sec, baby. The pokies are camera shy."

Alex laughed. "Come on, sweetie. I won't lift your shirt all the way up. I promise."

They resumed their kissing and then watched the new video. "Your little moans are so cute," Olivia observed.

"So are yours," Alex replied. "We should say something to commemorate my birthday."

Olivia pulled Alex into her lap and whispered, "How about I sing you 'Happy Birthday'?"

Alex blushed. "Ok."

Olivia kissed Alex again and then turned to the camera to sing "Happy Birthday." When she finished, Alex had tears in her eyes. "Liv, that's so sweet. God, I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Olivia replied, linking her fingers with Alex's.

Alex stopped the video and saved it under a special name. "This is my favorite one. And you can see both our rings."

"Make sure you send every single one to me. I want to put them all on my iPod," Olivia said.

Alex smiled. "I will right now. Just let me set up my wireless. Putting them on iPod is a good idea."

"Aren't you glad you have me around?" Olivia asked, laying her head on her shoulder.

Alex smiled. "Yes." A few minutes later, she composed an email and said, "Ok. They should be waiting in your inbox."

"Just make sure no kinky stuff is done with that iSight," Olivia joked.

"Not even when I'm away at cheerleading camp this summer? I was thinking about how I could send you all these videos of me in my spankies…"

Olivia grinned. "Well, I guess we can make some exceptions. Just don't let Abbie see them."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Trust me, she won't. I hope she doesn't even make team. But anyway, let's not think about her. I want my birthday to be perfect."

Olivia nodded. "Ok. We can still get a couple hours sleep before we have to get up."

Alex smiled and closed her laptop. "This day is a dream come true." She turned on her side to face her painting and Olivia wrapped her arms around her waist. "You made me look like such a champion in this portrait."

Olivia sighed happily. "That's exactly what you are."


	39. Expectations

**Chapter 39: Expectations**

Alex jumped out of her car and ran over to her father and Olivia, who were waiting for her outside. "I passed! I passed!"

"Congratulations, sweetie," John replied, giving her a hug.

Olivia gave her a hug as well. "I knew you'd do great."

They all went into the DMV office so Alex could take her picture and get her license made. When she was done, she brought her newly printed license over and proudly showed it off. "How awesome is this?" she squealed.

"Let me see your mug shot," Olivia joked.

Alex handed it over and Olivia smiled. "Aw, you look as gorgeous as ever."

"Thanks, babe," Alex responded, grinning proudly.

"So you got everything taken care of?" Olivia asked.

Alex nodded happily. "Yep. We can get outta here."

"I'm calling your mother to come pick me up, so you girls go on ahead. Have fun and be safe," John told them.

"Bye, Daddy," Alex said, hugging him and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Her father then went over to shake the instructor's hand.

Alex jumped in the driver's seat and threw her paperwork on the backseat. "I feel so official now!"

Olivia laughed. "I know, sweetie. I was ecstatic when I got my license, too."

"So where do you wanna get lunch?" Alex asked.

"I dunno. Somewhere quick. Remember? Your mom has a surprise for you waiting at home."

"Hmm, that's true. How about Arby's? I'm kinda craving beef and cheddar and a Jamocha shake," Alex said lustfully.

"That sounds good," Olivia agreed. "I haven't had Arby's in awhile."

"I love their curly fries. You wanna sit down and eat?" Alex asked, backing out of the parking space.

"Sure," Olivia replied. "But I'm paying this time so don't even whip out that credit card. You're the birthday girl."

Alex smiled. "Thanks, Liv. That's sweet."

"By the way, your parking was perfect," Olivia complimented her.

Alex briefly glanced at her. "You noticed?"

"Yep. You're a pro," Olivia said, reaching over to ruffle her hair. Alex grinned proudly.

They had only been eating for a few minutes when Jeremy Hawk and Dustin Willis came over to them. "Hey, everybody! The famous Alexandra Cabot has chosen to grace us with her royal presence! Can I get your autograph, pretty please?" Dustin teased.

Alex rolled her eyes. "What the hell do you want?"

"Just to wish you a happy birthday," Dustin replied.

Alex snorted. "Yeah, right!"

"So, Alex…I hear the big party is tonight," Jeremy said with a big grin.

Alex rolled her eyes again and Olivia immediately tensed up. "Yeah, it is," Alex responded with a glare.

"Well, seeing as how Dustin and I didn't get invites, you think you could let us in last minute?" Jeremy continued.

Alex groaned. "No, guys. If you aren't on the list by now, you never will be."

Olivia stood up. "Beat it, assholes."

Dustin and Jeremy turned to Olivia. "Oh, I get it. It's a dyke party. My bad," Dustin snarled before turning back to Alex. "Damn, Alex. You sure know how to pick 'em."

"Fuck off!" Alex yelled.

"So what the hell makes you think you're so much better than us that we didn't get invited to your exclusive little party?" Jeremy demanded.

"You weren't invited because you're fucking assholes," Alex snapped. "Now leave us alone."

Dustin folded his arms. "Make me, bitch."

Alex picked up her Jamocha shake and threw it at them. They jumped back and angrily began swiping at their faces and clothes.

"Oh, you stupid little slut!" Jeremy yelled, coming toward her with his fist raised.

Olivia blocked his path. "Touch her and I'll fucking rip both your balls off and make you eat them raw," she threatened. She turned to Dustin and warned, "Yours, too."

Jeremy immediately backed up. "Man, fuck this. I don't need this shit."

"Forget them, Jeremy," Dustin said, grabbing a napkin from an empty table and attempting to wipe the thick, sticky liquid off his jacket. "We'll fucking be there, bitch," he continued, kicking the paper cup out of the way.

"Yeah, so will security!" Alex shouted as they slammed the door behind them.

Olivia sat down beside her and brushed some of her hair back from her face. "Are you ok, sweetie?"

Alex nodded and gave her a quick smile. "Yeah. Thanks for sticking up for me."

"Sweet tits, it's second nature," Olivia said, kissing her on the cheek. "I'll never let anything happen to you."

Alex laughed. "I like it when you call me that."

"I like it, too," Olivia replied, kissing her cheek again. "It's kinda naughty."

"You really think they're gonna try to crash my party?" Alex asked, worry crossing her face.

Olivia shook her head. "Nah. They were just talking shit. And if they do, they'll just be arrested. Then I'll give them hell at school on Monday."

Alex smiled. "I love how you're so protective of me."

"Want me to get you another shake?" Olivia asked with a grin.

Alex laughed softly. "Sure. I'm sorry for wasting that one."

"It's ok, baby," Olivia assured her. "Seeing you throw that at them made my day. I was thinking 'Man, my girl has a pair on her.'"

Alex laughed. "I did that without even thinking about it."

"I love you," Olivia said, nuzzling her nose against Alex's cheek and wrapping her arms around her waist.

Alex giggled but suddenly pouted again a few seconds later. "I know. I just wanted this day to be perfect."

"Don't let those fuckers get under your skin, baby," Olivia told her, rubbing her back. "It will be perfect."

"Hey, Liv…" Alex began.

"Yeah, sweetie?" Olivia asked, snagging one of Alex's curly fries.

"I was thinking about getting a haircut today. What do you think?"

Olivia's jaw dropped. "No! I love the long goldilocks!"

"I was only gonna cut off a couple inches so it's right below my boobs. I'm tall, so it will still be long. And I was gonna get some highlights, too."

Olivia paused for a moment to ponder. Nodding her head, she replied, "Hmm…that sounds hot."

Alex grinned. "Knew you'd think so."

"Yeah. Now I'll have even more blonde moments to look forward to," Olivia teased.

Alex slapped her arm. "Hey!"

When they returned to her house a half hour later, Madeline and John instructed them to go upstairs. Alex saw a new 50-inch plasma HDTV in her entertainment center along with some accessories for her new laptop on her bed. Her mother looked up at her father and smiled. Alex ran over and turned on the TV. "This is beyond cool! Thanks, Mom!"

"Just make sure you get your work done and don't sit in front of this TV all day," Madeline told her.

"Mom, TV is so much better than homework."

Her mother gave her a stern look. "I'm serious, Alex."

Alex crossed her arms over her chest. "Come on, Mom. You know I always do my work."

"I know, darling," Madeline said, patting her shoulder.

John looked at Madeline and joked, "I say Alex has been given enough for one day. Maybe we should cancel the party. Her friends can just come over here."

Alex looked mortified. "You wouldn't!"

Her mother and father both started laughing. "We wouldn't do that, dear. But don't expect us to pay for your wedding," John said, placing his hand on Madeline's back and leading her out the door.

After they left, Alex nudged Olivia in the side with her elbow and asked, "They're joking, right?"

Olivia laughed. "Probably. But we don't have to have a castle wedding."

Alex looked at her in shock. "How'd you know I wanted a castle wedding?"

Olivia laughed harder. "Because you're a total princess."

Alex put her hands on her hips and pretended to be offended. "I am not!"

Olivia gave her a look. "What's the theme of your party again?"

"Arabian Nights," Alex said, looking down at the floor.

"And what part are you playing?"

Alex rolled her eyes and muttered, "An Arabian princess."

Olivia grinned. "See, I'm right again!"

Alex began chasing her around the room and eventually tackled her on the bed. "Your ass is totally mine!" she declared, sitting on her waist.

"Really? I thought it belonged to me," Olivia said with a smirk.

"Smartass!" Alex shouted. She pinned Olivia's arms behind her head and their eyes locked for a second before their lips met.

Olivia ran her hands up and down Alex's back and then flipped them over, never letting her mouth leave Alex's. As she let her tongue probe her soft mouth, she brought her hands around to caress Alex's face and neck.

A few minutes later, Alex pulled away to catch her breath. "Wow. Not being able to breathe has never been such a pleasurable experience."

Olivia grinned and pulled Alex's bottom lip between her teeth. "Ditto."

"They're not gonna be able to pull us apart on our wedding day," Alex said with a grin.

Olivia chuckled. "Yeah, we'll give a whole new meaning to 'you may now kiss the bride.'"

"More like you can now _grope_ the bride," Alex teased. "You know, I always thought a beach wedding would be really nice."

"You mean if the castle is on the beach."

Alex swatted her arm. "No, silly. Just a beach."

Olivia grinned. "Me, too."

"Speaking of the beach, I cannot _wait_ until Spring Break!" Alex said, flipping them back over.

"Are you gonna kiss me like this on the sand?" Olivia asked.

"You know it! But I plan on doing more than just kissing," Alex replied huskily.

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "Sex on the beach. Nice."

Alex narrowed her eyes. "Which one have you had? The drink or the act?"

"Just the drink—so far," she replied with a wicked grin.

"You had better only had the drink," Alex said, poking her in the stomach.

"And why is that?" Olivia asked, happy to engage in the banter.

"Because I wanna be your first beach love," Alex said with a pout.

"And you will be," Olivia replied, reaching up to drag a finger down Alex's lips.

Alex looked down at her and stroked her cheek. "I love your dimples." She ran her hands through Olivia's locks.

Olivia grinned wider, making her dimples even more apparent. "They love you, too."

Alex picked up a lock of Olivia's hair and tickled her neck with the ends. Olivia laughed and moved Alex's fingers away. "Stop that, you little tickler!"

"That's not tickling, _this_ is tickling!" Alex shouted, attacking her stomach.

Olivia giggled incessantly. "Stop! Stop!" She managed to grab Alex's wrists and hold them. "Now what are you gonna do?"

"Kiss you," Alex said, leaning down to brush her lips.

Olivia smiled and sat up. "I have a couple more presents for you if you promise not to tickle me anymore."

Alex grinned. "I promise."

"You're gonna be good for the rest of the day?"

Alex smiled slyly. "Well…that depends on your definition of good."

"Not torturing me," Olivia responded.

"Define torture," Alex continued.

Olivia gave her a look and leaned back on her elbow. "Come on, Alex."

"Ok, ok. I'll be good."

Smiling and shaking her head, Olivia got up and left the room. When she returned, she handed her a Juicy Couture gift set, which contained a 3.4 oz. jar of body crème, a 1 oz. bottle of perfume, and a tasseled atomizer bulb. Alex's face lit up and she deeply inhaled the perfume's scent. "Mmm…this smells _so_ good! Thank you, Liv!"

Olivia smiled. "You're welcome, baby."

"I can't wait until tonight when I can put this on. This smells better than any perfume I've ever had."

Olivia cocked her head to the side. "You're only saying that because I got it for you."

"No, Liv, I swear! I just wanna eat it! It's sweet and fruity but not overpowering. I'll be the best smelling Arabian princess there ever was!"

Olivia kissed her cheek. "You're adorable. Did you convince your mom to let you have a private suite?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

Alex nodded. "I begged until she finally gave in. I'm so stoked. We are gonna have so much fun afterwards!" She saw that Olivia was hiding a gift bag behind her. "What's in the bag?"

"The last gift," Olivia said. "Close your eyes."

Grinning, Alex closed her eyes and put her hands over them. "Tell me when I can open them!"

Olivia opened Alex's laptop and turned it toward her. _I've got to capture this reaction on film_, she thought. Once she had started recording, she grabbed the gift bag and excitedly said, "Ok, now!"

After opening her eyes, Alex quickly removed the tissue paper and pulled out two DVD sets. She began screaming when she saw that they were the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volumes One and Two. "Oh my god, Liv! Oh my god!" she shouted as she pointed to Tweety on the covers.

"Now you can see Tweety in action anytime you want. He will look crystal clear on your new plasma screen."

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Alex exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her neck.

Olivia stopped recording and began to play back the video. "Look at your face! Oh my god, this iSight is the greatest invention ever!"

Alex laughed. "Hey, blame it on Tweety overload!" She grabbed Olivia and pressed her lips hard against hers. "God, I love you!"

Olivia chuckled. "So I've been told."

"We totally have to watch now!" Alex yelled, running over to her DVD changer.

Olivia looked at her watch. It was 11:30. "When are we leaving for the spa?"

Alex shrugged. "Oh, a little after 12, I guess. We still have at least a half hour to watch some of Tweety, though!" She popped the first DVD in and then returned to her bed with the remote. Leaning back against Olivia's chest, she sighed happily and said, "This is the best birthday ever."

Olivia kissed the top of her head and responded, "You ain't seen nothin' yet."

"You spoil me so much, Liv. Seriously, I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend."

Olivia grinned from ear to ear. "So I take that to mean that all my presents lived up to your expectations?"

Alex took Olivia's hands and placed them on her stomach. "Liv, the only things I expect from you are that you love and remain true to me. But I absolutely love everything you gave me."

"Good to know," Olivia replied, tucking her arms tighter around her girlfriend.


	40. Princess Diaries

**Chapter 40: Princess Diaries**

"I feel so…_fresh_," Alex said as they walked out of the spa.

Olivia grinned. "Me, too! Maybe for prom we can get eucalyptus wraps."

Alex laughed. "You're really into this whole spa thing. I like that."

"What can I say? You bring out the best in me," Olivia replied.

Alex unlocked her car so they could get in. "How do you want your hair?"

Olivia shrugged. "I don't really know. Something pretty. What about yours?"

"Well, I was thinking half-up, half-down. Half swept up into these tight barrel curls and the rest down in more loose curls. Then I could get some spiral strands in the front. I think your hair would look really pretty with some soft curls and some tiny Swarovski crystal pieces. We can get matching ones."

Olivia laughed. "You're obsessed with those!"

"Speaking of which, let's go look at my cake! We have some time to spare before we go to the salon."

"Sounds good to me," Olivia replied.

When they arrived, Olivia rushed around to open the driver side door for Alex. Alex laughed and protested, "Liv! Whoever heard of anyone opening the driver side door for their girl?"

"I am completely at your service today," Olivia told Alex, taking her hand and helping her out of the vehicle.

Alex smiled. "Liv, that's sweet, but I can do things for myself."

"But I wanna take care of you," Olivia pouted, stroking her stomach with a finger.

"Baby, you already do. But you're not my servant. You're my girlfriend," Alex responded, placing a hand on her cheek.

Olivia placed her hand over Alex's. "I'm proud to be your girl." She linked her arm through Alex's and they walked inside the confectionery.

"Hey, Susie. Is my cake ready yet?" Alex asked, rubbing her hands together expectantly.

"You're in luck, Alex. We just finished decorating 5 minutes ago. Follow me," Susie, the owner of the confectionery, instructed. She led them to a room in back and took off her apron.

Alex beamed with delight. Gold buttercream frosting adorned the cake. Milk chocolate Kahlua truffles circled the bottom of each tier. A Swarovski crystal "16" graced the very top. Each tier had a fondant and marzipan scene from _1001 Arabian Nights_ etched across it. The bottom tier featured_ Scheherazade_, the second tier featured _Princess Badoura and the King of China_, the third tier featured _Zobeide_, and the very top tier featured _The Enchanted Horse. _The jewelry on the characters' bodies was made from Swarovski crystals, silver, and Bedouin amber and blue agate gemstones.

"Wow…the people look so lifelike," Olivia murmured. "And their costumes are so colorful."

"Don't they?" Alex asked, turning to her. "It looks so yummy I just wish I could eat a piece right now!"

"Don't drool, sweetheart," Olivia teased.

"I know it's gonna be so good. Inside it's a chocolate and vanilla checkerboard design."

Olivia grinned. "Best of both worlds, huh?"

"It gets better. There's strawberry and chocolate ganache filling between the layers," Alex continued.

Olivia licked her lips. "Ok, now you're making me crave some, too."

"Mmm…I know. And we can feed each other cake, too!" Alex said excitedly.

"Just as long as you promise not to smear it all over my face!"

Alex gave her a look. "Liv, you know I wouldn't do that." She grinned from ear to ear. "I'm totally saving that for our wedding day!"

Olivia smiled. "You would."

Susie looked from one girl to the other with a curious smile but didn't say anything. The gravity of what she'd just said dawned on Alex, but she kept her face expressionless. Olivia's face didn't reveal anything either.

Straightening her shoulders, Alex said, "Well, thanks, Susie. The cake looks unbelievable. Fantastic job."

"Any last minute details you'd like to change or add?" Susie asked.

Alex walked around the cake and gave it a thorough once-over again. "Nope. Everything's perfect."

Susie smiled. "Great. We'll deliver it around 7:30."

"Sounds good. See you later," Alex said.

"Bye," Olivia said with a quick wave.

"Shit," Alex muttered as they left the bakery. "You don't think Susie is gonna say anything to my parents, do you?"

Olivia shook her head. "Nah. She probably thought we were just messing around."

"Good. I don't know how Dad is gonna react to his only daughter being gay, but if it's bad, the last day I want it to happen on is my birthday."

Olivia sighed. "Yeah, we do need to be more careful. But everything we do is so natural."

"Definitely. I don't even think before kissing you or grabbing your hand," Alex replied.

"Well, in the summer, it will be easier cuz we won't have school and we won't be at home as much."

"I can't wait until this summer. We can both get jobs!"

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "Wow. Alex Cabot working?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Yes. I think it would be nice if we both got a job together."

Olivia chuckled. "Where? Hustler Hollywood?"

"We're both too young to work there, Liv," Alex said matter-of-factly. "Besides, I don't wanna be surrounded by sex toys all day long."

"Well, I guess we could be lifeguards at the beach," Olivia suggested.

"That would be cool," Alex agreed.

"Yeah. It would also give me time to surf. I started taking up surfing a couple summers ago. I guess I'm all right, but I'd like to get better."

Alex grinned. "Really? I didn't know you could surf!"

"Yeah. A friend started teaching me. Maybe I could teach you a couple moves."

"That sounds great! I've never tried surfing but it sure does look fun. Maybe we could get a head start during Spring Break."

Olivia smiled. "Sure."

Halfway through the drive to the salon, Alex decided to bring up something that had been in the back of her mind since Olivia mentioned surfing. "Hey, Liv…which friend taught you how to surf?"

Olivia turned to look at her curiously. "Why?"

Alex shrugged and tried to sound casual. "Just curious, that's all."

"You wanna know if it was a past love interest, don't you?" Olivia asked with a slight chuckle.

Alex blushed crimson and busied herself with checking her mirrors before switching lanes. "Um…I just wanted to know if…if…" she stammered.

"Don't worry, babe. We were just friends. She lives outta town. We never even kissed. Besides, I think she's straight," Olivia replied.

"Was she hot?" Alex asked.

"She's cute. But Al, just because a chick is hot doesn't mean I'm automatically interested in her."

Alex frowned slightly. "Is that present or past tense?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You're such a lawyer."

"Well, I will be in about 10 years. And you didn't answer my question."

Sighing, Olivia responded, "Both. Before we were together, I didn't wanna fuck any chick just cuz she was hot and now that we are together, I don't wanna fuck any chick other than you, regardless of how hot she is."

"Good answer," Alex said.

"Well, it's true," Olivia retorted with slight annoyance in her voice.

"So seeing another girl's tits doesn't turn you on in the slightest?" Alex asked pointedly, throwing her a brief glance.

Olivia rolled her eyes again. "Well…I didn't say that…"

Alex's mouth dropped open and she turned to Olivia again. "What?"

"Watch the road, Alex—not me!" Olivia ordered. "Geez!"

"I know how to drive a car, Liv!" Alex yelled. "And stop dodging my questions."

"Oh come on, Alex! Don't tell me that if you saw a hot naked girl it wouldn't make you at least a little aroused. Your nipples get hard just like mine when we watch girl-on-girl porn."

Alex blushed. "That's because I start imagining us!"

"So then why do you think it's any different for me?"

"I don't know…" Alex responded honestly.

Olivia threw up her hands. "Alex, I don't lust after other chicks! I can appreciate a nice set of tits or a nice ass but that's as far as it goes. How hard is that to understand?"

"So when you masturbate or fuck me, you're not thinking of anyone else?"

Olivia groaned. "No, Alex!"

"Do you masturbate more than we make love?"

"No, Alex. What's with all the questions?"

"I'm just curious, that's all," Alex snapped. A hurt look flashed across Olivia's face and she turned her head and looked out the window. Feeling guilty, Alex placed her hand on Olivia's knee and said in a softer tone, "I'm sorry for snapping at you, Liv. I guess I still get jealous sometimes. I know it's annoying."

Olivia sighed and turned to look at her again. "Alex, you are the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen. I've told you before—I've never desired anyone as much as I desire you. Shit, I even used to masturbate about you before we got together."

Alex grinned. "Really?"

"Yes," Olivia confirmed. "Babe, what is this really about?"

"Liv…I know you only have eyes for me. It's just…there are gonna be all these really hot girls in bikinis at the beach and all."

Olivia smiled. "Just because I may look doesn't mean I wanna touch."

"As long as you aren't looking at anyone else more than you look at me."

"Deal. As long as you promise me the same."

"Deal," Alex replied.

* * *

Alex sprayed on some of the perfume Olivia had given her and then slid into her Badgley Mischka cocktail dress for her dinner party. She turned around and looked in her floor-length mirror. The sequined black dress ended a few inches above the knee. "You don't think this is too short, do you?" she asked Olivia. 

Olivia pulled the halter to her own dress over her head and said, "No, baby. It's perfect."

Alex turned to admire how perfectly Olivia's dress hugged her curves. The white, pleated chiffon dress ended right at the knee and offered a nice contrast with her dark brown curls. "You look so beautiful, Liv."

Olivia smiled. "Thank you."

"I love that our dresses are like polar opposites. In some ways, they represent us. Our differences perfectly complement each other."

"I agree," Olivia said, wrapping her arm around her shoulders and admiring how they looked in the mirror.

Alex pulled at the top of her dress to adjust it over her breasts. "You don't think my dress is gonna fall down, do you?" she asked Olivia. She gave it another sharp tug.

Olivia smiled. "No. Your tits hold it up nicely."

Alex grinned. "My tits?"

"Yes, your tits," Olivia laughed, placing her hands on Alex's breasts.

"Can I touch yours?" Alex asked.

Olivia gave her a look. "You know you don't have to ask if you can touch my tits, sweetie."

Alex happily reached out and squeezed her breasts. "They're always so soft." Olivia's nipples perked against Alex's hands. Alex giggled and added, "Well, except for the pokies."

Olivia grinned. "Even this built-in bra isn't a match for them. They're so excited it's your birthday."

"I bet they're even more excited that they won't be covered by nipple guards this time."

Olivia playfully backed away from Alex. "Hey, don't remind them. They hide at even the thought of those awful things." She shuddered.

"Come on, Liv. Were they really that bad?"

"They're weird!" Olivia replied.

Alex laughed. "So are a lot of other things."

Olivia pulled Alex close to her and nibbled her earlobe. "Is this weird?"

Alex blushed. "No…that feels good."

Just then, a knock was heard. Olivia quickly separated from Alex and opened the door. Madeline handed a white box to Alex. "What's this?" Alex asked.

"Just open it, dear," Madeline instructed.

Alex took the lid off the box and pulled out a diamond tiara. "Oh, this is so beautiful, Mom."

Madeline took the tiara out of her hands and placed it carefully on her head. "It fits you gracefully."

Olivia shook her head and laughed. "See, I told you that you were _such_ a princess!"

Madeline smiled. "You both look very nice. The makeup artists should be here in about 15 minutes, so I hope you girls are almost ready."

"We are," Alex replied.

Madeline nodded and turned to leave when Olivia called out, "Um, Madeline?"

Madeline turned back around. "Yes, dear?"

Olivia went over and gave her a warm hug. "Thank you for allowing me to have such an integral part in your daughter's life."

Madeline rubbed her back and responded, "You're welcome. You make her happy and in the end, that's all that matters."

"Aww, I love you, Mom!" Alex exclaimed, running over and wrapping her arms around Olivia and Madeline.

Madeline pulled back and gave both girls a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be downstairs."

Olivia hugged Alex's waist and said gratefully, "I'm so glad we have your mom's support."

"Me, too. It's such a weight lifted off our shoulders." She looked at the clock and continued, "Oh, shit! I need to get my jewelry on."

Olivia fastened the clasp of the _Panthère de Cartier _necklace at the back of Alex's neck while Alex put on the diamond briolette drop earrings that her mother had let her borrow. "They should have put a 'fragile: handle with care' sign on this," Olivia joked.

"It'll be ok. Am I missing anything?" Alex asked.

"What about the little Panther bracelet your Mom brought up earlier?" Olivia reminded her.

Alex snapped her fingers and ran over to her dresser. "Oh, yeah! Thanks, Liv! You're a lifesaver!"

Olivia followed her and placed her hands on her bare shoulders. "You look amazing, baby."

Alex turned around in her arms and pressed her lips softly against hers. "So do you." She walked over to her jewelry armoire and pulled out a small pair of diamond earrings. "You can wear these if you'd like."

Olivia took the earrings from her and put them on. "Thank you."

"If there's anything else you wanna wear, you're welcome to it. I bet some of my jewelry would look better on you than it does me!"

Olivia smiled but politely declined. "That's ok, sweetie. These earrings are just fine."

Alex swung her hair over her shoulder and grabbed her purse. "Come on, let's make another quick video before we go downstairs to wait on makeup."

Olivia chuckled. "Always up for a new entry in the video diaries of Alex Cabot, or as I like to dub them, 'The Princess Diaries.'"

Alex shoved her shoulder. "Hey, it's not just me. It's the Alex _and_ Olivia video diaries."

"Are you gonna make little entries and send them to me at night?" Olivia teased.

Alex paused for a moment to ponder. "Hmm…that's a good idea! They can be like little bedtime stories."

Olivia gave a wicked grin. "And we know how much I like bedtime stories…"

* * *

About 45 minutes later, everyone was sitting around Alex's living room and waiting on the limo driver to get there. Alex had finished opening all her presents from her friends and was impatiently checking the grandfather clock. "Ugh…when is he getting here?" 

"Let me guess. Someone's tummy requires food?" Olivia teased.

"Well, I am getting hungry but I also don't wanna be late!" Alex exclaimed.

Olivia placed her hand on her knee comfortingly. "Babe, the food isn't gonna sprout legs and take off before we arrive. We have plenty of time."

"Hey, I learned early on not to get between Alex and her food," Serena teased.

Alex threw some wrapping paper at her. "Cork it, Southerlyn."

"Hey, Alex, do I get a dance tonight?" Elliot asked.

Everyone laughed when Olivia shot him daggers with her eyes. "Yeah, after I get about 7 with her," Olivia replied, tucking her arm around Alex's waist.

"Hey, I wanna dance with Alex, too!" Casey added.

Serena laughed. "By the time the night is over, Olivia will have kicked both your asses."

"Yeah, I have no problem fighting in heels!" Olivia joked.

"Maybe we should warn Abbie," Serena replied.

Alex gave her a stern look. "She wouldn't dare show up."

"Not unless she wants me to rearrange her face," Olivia added.

"Ok, girls," Elliot interrupted. "Happy thoughts tonight."

"Ooh, speaking of happy thoughts, you guys have to see Olivia's painting of me!" Alex exclaimed, hopping up from the sofa.

"I've seen it already, but I'll play along," Elliot said with a smile.

"Olivia is a woman of many talents," Casey replied.

Alex turned to Olivia and smiled. "That she is."

Once in Alex's room, all their friends marveled over the painting. "Wow, Liv. That is beyond amazing," Casey said.

"I agree," Serena added. "If Casey ever made me something like that, I'd probably marry her."

Casey turned to her and pretended to be offended. "So you wouldn't marry me unless I painted you?"

Serena laughed. "Do you have a better offer?"

"Perhaps something could be arranged," Casey responded.

"Liv, that's seriously good enough to go in an art gallery or something," Kathy complimented her. She turned to Elliot and asked, "How come you've never painted me anything?"

Elliot chuckled. "Well, I would if I could."

Alex smiled at Olivia. "Yep. I'm a very lucky girl."

Serena turned her attention to Alex's laptop, which was on her bed. "Wow, Alex! Is this your new laptop?"

"Yep," Alex replied, grinning proudly.

Serena and Casey jumped onto the bed and opened Alex's laptop. "This is so fucking awesome," Serena gushed. "I totally want one!"

"I agree," Kathy said, taking a seat on Alex's bed beside Serena.

Casey opened up iMovie and clicked on one of the videos. "Whoa…what is _this_?" she asked, staring intently.

Serena quickly grabbed the laptop to get a closer look. "Alex, oh my…"

The blood drained from Alex and Olivia's faces. Elliot ran over to watch. "Damn, Liv! If you moaned any louder—"

"Knock it off, El!" Olivia barked, turning beet red.

"Guys, come on!" Alex shouted, trying to retrieve her laptop. "That's private!"

"Let us finish watching!" Serena insisted, moving it out of her reach.

Kathy watched as Olivia slid her hand under the elastic of Alex's shorts while Alex slipped her hands under Olivia's wife beater. "Oh wow. This is intense," she observed.

"Yeah, there's making out and then…there's Alex and Olivia," Casey teased.

"Oh, please! There's nothing wrong with that video! It's not like you can see anything! All our clothes are on!" Olivia protested.

"Probably not for long," Casey remarked.

"Shit, Alex. You gotta be more careful. If your parents find this—" Serena began.

"They won't!" Alex snapped. At that moment, the video ended and she quickly snatched her laptop out of Serena's lap.

"So how often does this tongue fuck—I mean—tongue aerobics occur?" Casey teased. Serena, Kathy, and Elliot snickered.

Olivia and Alex both turned to glare at her. "Shut up!" they shouted together.

"I have to admit—that was pretty hot," Elliot said.

"You know our teasing is all in good fun," Serena said, rubbing Alex's back. "If that had been us, you'd be ripping on us until Christmas."

"Or us," Elliot pitched in.

Olivia grinned. "Alex and I are just naturally smokin' hot." She pulled Alex into her lap and placed a soft kiss on a bare shoulder. Alex smiled and cuddled closer.

"How numb were your lips after that kiss?" Serena asked.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Serena…"

"Ok, ok. I'll give you a break since it's your birthday," Serena conceded.

A few minutes later, Madeline and John came upstairs to tell them that Sam was driving them to the hotel. "Make sure you lock up and turn the alarm system on," Madeline said.

Alex sighed. "Mom, I always do."

"Sam will come inside to get your things. Have you girls packed everything you'll need?" John asked Alex and Olivia.

"Yes, sir," Olivia responded.

"Yes, Daddy. Our luggage is downstairs," Alex said.

"Would you like for me to take your laptop?" Madeline offered.

Alex quickly shook her head. "No, Mom. I'll bring it."

"Ok, dear," Madeline said, kissing her daughter on the cheek. "We'll see you at dinner."

"Don't forget your charger," John added, kissing her as well. He brushed a curl back from her face and continued, "I can't believe my little girl has grown up."

Alex smiled and squeezed her father tightly. "Before you know it, I'll be off to college."

Her father pulled back and held his daughter at arm's length to admire her. "I am so proud of you, Alexandra."

"Thanks, Daddy," Alex replied softly.

After her parents left, Alex turned to the rest of them and said, "Well guys, it's time to get this party started."

"I agree," Olivia replied. She went over to get Alex's laptop and tucked it under her arm. "Gotta keep this baby away from _prying eyes_," she continued, looking pointedly at Serena, Casey, Elliot, and Kathy.

Elliot laughed. "Why? Do you have anymore X-rated films on there?"

Olivia turned to smirk at him as they all walked down the stairs. "Not for your eyes."

In a few minutes, a black Hummer limo arrived outside to take them to the Ritz-Carlton. Alex jumped up and squealed as she grabbed her purse. "Finally!" She sighed happily and turned to Olivia. "I cannot believe this is becoming a reality."

Olivia kissed her softly on the cheek and offered her arm. "This is the stuff dreams are made of."


	41. Countdown

**Chapter 41: Countdown**

When they arrived at the front of the Ritz-Carlton, the driver stepped out and opened the doors for them to get out. The first thing everyone noticed was the lighted horizontal fountain, which shot spurts of water that increased in height from one end to the other.

"Look at the fountain!" Serena said breathlessly. "It's so beautiful."

"Oh my god, the water is pink!" Kathy gushed. "That's so cute, Alex. How did you get them to do it?"

Alex smiled. "Daddy," she responded simply.

A red carpet had been laid out before them, and a huge banner proclaiming "Happy Sweet 16, Alex!" was suspended over the entrance to the hotel. "Do you want me to escort you inside?" Elliot asked, grinning widely and putting a hand on Alex's back. "Since Liv is over there checking her makeup and all, I figured you'd need someone a little less girly tonight."

Olivia shot him a look and snapped her compact shut. "Do you want to keep the family jewels?" she asked crossly.

"Hey, Liv! I was just joking!" Elliot insisted, a bit taken aback by Olivia's reaction.

"Damn, Liv. A bit possessive, don't you think?" Serena asked.

"I'm Alex's one and only escort tonight," Olivia responded in her defense.

Casey leaned over and whispered in Serena's ear, "Note to self: wear flame retardant suit when asking Alex for a dance tonight."

"Let's play nice…" Alex said, linking her arm through Olivia's. "I want everyone to make it to the party in one piece."

"Don't we all?" Elliot muttered.

Once in the lobby, Alex announced, "Ok, I need to find Mom and Dad so I can get my key card and put my laptop in my room. Give me your outfits and I'll take them with me." She looked from Olivia to Elliot. "No fighting or I will administer spankings for the both of you."

Olivia grinned and playfully shoved Elliot. Alex started to swat her arm but decided against it because she knew that's just what she wanted. "Hey! You can't start fights on purpose just so I'll spank you!"

Olivia hugged Alex's waist from behind and whispered in her ear, "Can I come with?"

Alex couldn't help but smile. "I dunno. I _do_ intend on making it to dinner in time."

"I can see right now that the guest of honor is going to be showing up, um…_fashionably late_," Casey murmured, nudging Serena in the ribs with her elbow. Serena brought her hand to her mouth to stifle her giggling.

"Hey, I heard that!" Alex yelled. Olivia grabbed her hand and they ran off to find Alex's parents.

A few minutes later, Alex opened the door to her suite and a hand flew to her mouth. "Liv, look! It's an Arabian suite! The furnishings look so authentic and Middle Eastern. I feel like I'm in Dubai or something." Rich, warm hues of ochre, maroon, and navy flowed throughout the room. The furniture featured Arabic lattice work that only added to the suite's flair. Paintings of ancient Arabia and Persia adorned the walls.

Olivia grinned and took the clothes from her to hang in one of the closets. "Did you just expect it to be a regular room tonight?"

"Well…yeah. I only expected the Arabian Nights theme to go as far as my party!" She walked over to her nightstand to admire a hand-painted ceramic vase that contained a White Iris bouquet. "Mmm. These flowers smell lovely."

"They're pretty," Olivia replied, glancing over her shoulder at Alex.

Alex walked over to the desk and put her laptop down on it. "I'm so glad this hotel has high-speed Wi-Fi."

"Ooh, it also has a private terrace!" Olivia shouted, running outside.

"Come on, Liv. We can't stay long," Alex told her, yet following her nonetheless. She looked around and smiled. "This is so nice. We can have breakfast tomorrow morning out here."

"What's even more exciting is that there is a telescope out here! We can watch the stars together."

Alex grinned. "Your romantic geekiness is so adorable."

"Speaking of romantic, we can have our own little slow dance out here after the party is over," Olivia suggested, draping her arms across Alex's shoulders.

"I'd love that," Alex replied. She softly jerked her head in the direction of the bed. "Did you notice how fucking huge the bed is?"

Olivia gave her a knowing smile. "It's the first thing I noticed. Let's go test it for um…_recreational_ purposes."

"You said it," Alex said, pulling her back inside.

Alex walked over to the king-size canopy bed and took a seat on the edge. Olivia took a seat beside her and said, "Wow. Everything here is so beautiful." She looked down at the floor and added, "Even the carpet."

Alex chuckled. "Yeah. We're going to have a great weekend. The only thing I hate is that it will all be cut short by school Monday morning."

Olivia grinned. "Too bad we can't skip like after Valentine's…"

"Our parents would kill us. We barely escaped last time with the skin of our teeth," Alex reminded her.

"Speaking of killing, we need to get back downstairs before everyone starts thinking the worst," Olivia said.

They opened the door to leave and almost jumped 10 feet in the air when they saw all their friends gathered around with shit-eating grins on their faces. "Oh yeah! Real mature, guys!" Alex snapped.

"What the fuck are you doing up here, huh? Spying on us?" Olivia demanded.

"We thought we heard a little bed squeaking," Serena teased.

"Can we see inside?" Casey asked.

Alex rolled her eyes but slid her key card in anyway. "I guess."

Casey and Serena ran in and climbed on the bed. "Ooh, it's all cushiony!" Serena exclaimed, patting the comforter.

Kathy and Elliot started walking around. "This is _really_ nice, Alex," Kathy commented.

"I know, right? There is a sitting room area and everything," Alex replied.

"Can we go outside?" Elliot asked.

Alex nodded. "Sure." She turned to see Casey and Serena rolling around on the bed. "Come on, guys! Knock it off."

Casey got on top of Serena and teased, "Ok, so this is how Alex and Liv are gonna be tonight." She started riding Serena's waist and Serena moaned, "Oh! Oh, yes! Get it, Liv!"

Continuing to grind against her waist, Casey grabbed Serena's breasts and asked, "Is this how you like it, Alikins?"

"Oh, you asshole," Olivia interjected. "I sound nothing like that when I'm making love to her."

"At least we don't fuck each other at gas stations!" Alex shot back.

"Is that the best you can do, Alex?" Casey asked, picking up her pace.

Kathy and Elliot came back inside. Watching the scene unfold on the bed, Elliot remarked, "I don't even wanna ask."

Casey grinned at Elliot. "Oh, don't mind us! We're just doing a little Alex-Liv role playing."

"Get up, guys!" Olivia ordered.

Serena looked at Olivia with a wicked grin. She pushed Casey off her and whispered something in her ear. Casey proceeded to get on all fours and Serena wildly started slapping her ass. "Oh, fuck, Liv! Harder! Harder!" Casey shouted.

"Ok, seriously get off before you make me mad," Olivia threatened.

"You two are idiots. Everyone knows that Olivia would be the one getting spanked, not me," Alex said with her own shit-eating grin.

Everyone began roaring with laughter, even Olivia. "You guys are relentless," Olivia said, shaking her head.

Elliot took Kathy's hand and began walking toward the door. "I'd love to stay and watch you girls rehearse your latest porno flick, but I'm actually starting to get a little hungry," he joked.

"Yeah, let's get back downstairs," Olivia said.

"Yes, let's," Alex agreed, ushering the rest of them toward the door.

After they had all been seated in the private dining room reserved for them, Alex turned to everyone and said, "Thank you all so much for coming. You don't know how much it means to me to share my 16th birthday with the people who mean the most to me. I love you guys."

Everyone started clapping and toasting their water glasses to Alex. "We love you, too, Alex," Kathy replied.

"Especially me," Olivia whispered, reaching under the table and squeezing Alex's hand.

"When do you think people will start getting here?" Serena asked.

"Probably sometime around six. The line is gonna extend around the block. But they won't be let in for awhile, though," Alex responded.

"Are you nervous about your big entrance?" Casey asked.

"A little. I just want everything to go smoothly," Alex answered. "I hope the horse doesn't get spooked by all the people and excitement."

"Those horses are trained to perform in front of large crowds, Alex," Madeline assured her. "You'll be fine."

"Yeah. Besides, Alex, you've been riding for years. You know how to keep a horse calm," Serena pitched in.

"How long before we get to eat?" Alex asked.

"Just a few minutes, sweetie," John answered.

"The question of the century," Olivia teased. Alex thumped her hard on the arm in retaliation.

"Alexandra!" Madeline chided.

"Boy, am I glad to be on the opposite side of the table," Elliot quipped.

Olivia sneakily reached under the table and pinched Alex's thigh. Alex let out a loud yelp, startling everyone at the table. Madeline shot them another look. "Girls, if you can't behave…" she warned.

"Sorry, Mom," Alex apologized.

"Yeah. Sorry," Olivia added.

In a short while, the servers brought out the food, which included a whole stuffed roast lamb, sunflower honey bread, vegetable bucatini, Moroccan chicken with couscous, orecchiette with tomatoes and black olive sauce, stuffed aubergine, kibbeh, fatayer, and blueberry and wild rice salad. Alex turned to Olivia with her mouth wide open when she also saw a server roll out a wine cart with bottles of champagne on ice.

"Wow," Olivia said, licking her lips.

"My sentiments exactly," Casey murmured.

Alex turned to her parents. "We all get champagne?"

Madeline smiled. "Well, it's your 16th birthday. It's a rite of passage for a young adult. I'd say champagne is appropriate."

Alex got up and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Mom!" Taking her seat beside Olivia again, she rubbed her hands together and said, "Ok, time to dig in!"

Her mother laughed as the waiter filled all their glasses with champagne. "I know you're excited to eat, sweetie. But your father and I would like to make a toast to you."

"Ok, Mom," Alex replied, smiling expectantly.

John and Madeline stood up. "Alex, I can remember the days when you'd sit on my lap in my study and beg me to read the Wall Street Journal to you," her father began. "I can also remember tucking you in every night with your favorite teddy bear. But now you are no longer a little girl. You have blossomed into a fine young lady. You've always been a strong, independent girl who is wise beyond her years. Princess, you carry the Cabot name with honor, and this party is just a small token of my love for you."

Alex felt tears prick the back of her eyes. "Thanks, Daddy," she choked out.

Madeline looked at Alex and smiled. "Alex, you have bestowed so much joy upon us over the years. You've learned, you've grown, you've handled even the most untenable situations with the greatest finesse. You excel at everything you put your mind to. I wish you a happy birthday and only the best life has to offer. Your father and I couldn't have asked for a better present 16 years ago." She and John lifted their glasses together and toasted Alex. Everyone else followed suit.

Alex quickly brushed away tears. "You're so wonderful, Mom."

"That was so beautiful!" Olivia exclaimed. "You two are even going to make _me_ cry."

"Me, too!" Serena added, brushing her own tears away.

Alex grinned and hugged Olivia close to her. "I'm so happy," she said thankfully.

"You deserve it," Olivia replied.

"It's just…" Alex paused to search for the words. "…humbling to know that everyone at this table genuinely cares about me for who I am inside and not for what I can give them."

"That's true, Alex," Elliot replied. "Love isn't conditional."

The group began passing the dishes around the table and helping themselves. "This smells _so_ delicious," Alex remarked.

"You're tellin' me," Serena agreed.

"I absolutely love couscous," Alex stated, digging in with her fork.

"This food all looks so exotic," Olivia added, taking a bite of kibbeh. "This is really yummy."

"The lamb is really juicy," Casey said.

Alex took a sip of champagne. "Really good, Mom."

Madeline smiled. "I thought you'd enjoy it. Just don't drink too much of it."

After they were done eating, Alex leaned back in her chair and said, "Well, we have some time to spare before we have to start getting ready. What are we gonna do in the meantime?"

"Ugh. I'm so full I could nap for the rest of the night," Casey answered.

"Make sure you have room for cake," Serena told her. "And you can't miss the party, silly!"

Alex licked her lips. "I cannot _wait_ until we cut my cake!"

Olivia smirked. "Yeah. She almost jumped it earlier when we went to see it."

John looked at his watch and said, "Let's go check the ballroom one last time. I want to make sure that even the most minute details are perfect."

Alex stood up and smiled. "Great idea, Dad." She turned to the rest of them. "Come on, let's check it out. I haven't even seen it since yesterday."

"Me neither," Olivia echoed.

They walked into the ballroom and all their friends gasped. The entire ballroom was decorated like the throne room of a palace from the _1001 Arabian Nights_ stories. The scent of Damascus rose wafted through the room. Gold and royal purple silk fabrics draped the ceiling and flowed neatly down the walls. In between the silk, bronze wall sconces with carved lion motifs contained arrangements of blue, pink, and white lotus flowers. Syrian lanterns were suspended from the ceiling and LED lamps projected gold sparkles onto the white floor. Sandstone columns with gold Arabic calligraphy had been set up across the ballroom.

"Oh…my…god…" Casey said, trying to take everything in all at once.

"As Fin would say: 'Bling bling,'" Elliot remarked.

"Is everything exactly how you want it, Alex?" John asked.

"Yes," Alex replied breathlessly. She looked around and sighed contentedly.

"This is beyond gorgeous," Olivia breathed. "It's certainly fit for a princess." She gazed at Alex adoringly.

At the back of the ballroom, five circular marble steps led up to a large marble platform fashioned after a dais. Two great ice sculpture griffins sat on opposite ends of the dais and rose petals were scattered across it. At the very back of the dais was another life-size ice sculpture that was fashioned after Alex. Tiny purple, yellow, blue, pink, green, and orange neon tubes had been implanted inside all the ice sculptures and emitted their bright colors across the room. A chaise longue with colorful Persian cushions was placed in front of Alex's ice sculpture for her to sit on.

"It's so magical," Kathy mused as they all walked up the steps. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Alex, your mother and I will be back," John told her. "We're going outside to survey the area again."

"Ok," Alex replied, kissing her father quickly on the cheek.

Serena went to get a closer look at Alex's sculpture. "How cool is that?" she marveled. "Alex has her own fucking ice sculpture!"

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "Now if ever there was an ice sculpture I wanted to suck…"

Elliot grinned. "I guess it wouldn't be out of line to refer to her as an ice princess this time..." Everyone laughed.

"She's my little ice princess," Olivia whispered, hugging Alex. Alex giggled.

"Can drinks flow out your sculpture, Alex? You know, kinda like a vodka luge?" Casey asked.

Kathy looked at Elliot. "Uh oh. I already know where this one is going."

Elliot smirked. "You catch on quickly."

Alex gave Casey a look. "Don't even."

Olivia turned to Alex with a mischievous grin. "Well…we all know where the drinks would flow out and I'd be more than ready and willing to relieve you of—"

"Hey!" Alex protested, swatting her arm.

"Well, it's not like my tongue has never ventured into areas unseen," Olivia replied.

"It's not going to be venturing in front of Mom, Dad, and 200 guests! Besides, it's not like my sculpture's naked!" Alex argued.

"I think drinks would be much better if they flowed out of the griffins' mouths instead of Alex's…um…nether regions," Elliot reasoned.

"Ok, that's gross. I started thinking of another liquid entirely and—" Serena began.

Alex shot Serena a glare. "Don't say it. Nothing is flowing out of the ice." She walked down the steps of the dais and went over to examine the food.

Long buffet tables were set up on each side of the room, and in the center of each table was a large golden genie lamp filled with sparkling, iridescent punch. Tall chocolate fondue fountains were at both ends of each table. One table featured pink and white chocolate fondue fountains while the other featured dark and milk chocolate ones.

"Mmm…chocolate," Olivia said.

"Oh, I can't wait to taste the pink fondue!" Alex exclaimed.

"Why don't you try it out?" Kathy suggested.

"Good idea," Alex replied, picking up a slice of apple and dipping it into the flow of chocolate. She took a bite and then gave the rest to Olivia. "Mmm…this is divine! Try some, guys!"

"I agree," Olivia said, wiping some fondue from the side of her mouth.

After they had tried out the fondue, Alex said, "I'm so excited about everything that I can barely see straight!"

"This is seriously going to be the best party ever!" Casey exclaimed.

"Everyone is still gonna be talking about it for weeks to come," Serena chimed in. "No one is gonna pay attention in class on Monday cuz everyone is gonna be recapping the party."

"Where's the cake?" Kathy asked.

"Susie said they were gonna bring it in around 7:30," Alex replied.

"That's still almost two hours away," Elliot observed.

Alex looked at the clock. "Ok. My performers aren't here yet. Where the hell are they? They can't fucking come in at the last minute cuz they need time to set up."

Olivia rubbed her back comfortingly. "They'll be here soon, baby."

Alex groaned. "Well, the bouncers are gonna start checking people's I.D.s around 6:45 and I don't want it to get too chaotic."

"Alex, everything will be fine, ok?" Serena told her, giving her a quick hug. "Don't stress, babe."

Alex sighed. "I guess you're right." She grabbed Olivia's hand and dragged her back up to the dais. "I want you to sit up here with me," she said, smiling sweetly at her.

"Oh, sweetie…I couldn't. Tonight is all about you," Olivia replied. "I don't wanna take up your spotlight."

"Don't be silly," Alex persuaded, giving her a warm hug. "If I'm a princess, so are you."

"But baby…" Olivia started to protest. "There will be pictures and everything. It's _your_ sweet 16. People will wonder why we're so joined at the hip on your big day."

"So? Let them wonder," Alex responded.

"Alex…just because we're dating doesn't mean we have to spend every waking moment together. This is your time to shine. I can spare not being right beside you for a couple hours."

"Liv, queens always sit beside their kings on the throne. I'm not saying we can't ever be apart; I know we can. But tonight I have a choice and I _want_ you to be up here with me."

Olivia sighed. "Baby…"

"Liv, you told me that you planned to make my birthday the most special day of my life. You still mean that, don't you?"

Olivia frowned slightly. "Of course I do."

"Well, it won't be as special if you aren't here with me."

"Alex….won't your dad get suspicious?"

Alex gave Olivia a look. "Sweetie, I just want you to sit beside me, not suck my face."

Olivia gave a lopsided grin. "You sure about that?"

Alex laughed softly and whispered in her ear, "Well, I do want you to suck something but that will have to wait until later."

Olivia gulped. "Baby…it's not fair to bribe me!"

Alex pouted at her. "I'll be too sad to go on with my party if you don't sit up here with me. You're my Princess Charming."

"Aww," Kathy, Elliot, Casey, and Serena cooed in unison.

"Ok, ok," Olivia finally decided, not able to stifle a goofy smile. "If that's what you want, I'll sit beside you."

Alex smiled and gave her a big hug. "Thanks, sweetie!" She turned to the rest of them and said, "Ok, let's go up to my suite and we can all change into our costumes."

Elliot smirked. "Ah, yes. Girls Gone Wild, Volume II."

Olivia gave him a slight shove. "Not even," she argued.

Alex decided to brush off Elliot's comment this time and began walking toward the elevators. "Ok, Serena and Casey, you two can take the bathroom. Elliot and Kathy can take the sitting room. And of course Liv and I will—"

"Fuck like rabbits," Casey interrupted.

Elliot, Kathy, Serena, and Casey bent over with laughter as they stumbled into the elevator. Olivia and Alex rolled their eyes. "You wish," Alex responded.

"Can't you guys come up with any new material?" Olivia asked as she pressed the number to Alex's floor.

"Speaking of coming…" Serena started.

Alex pushed Serena into the wall of the elevator. "I thought you said you wouldn't tease me anymore."

Serena pouted. "Aww…you're no fun."

"You guys act like we're the only ones having sex," Olivia muttered.

"Come on, Liv," Elliot said, dangling an arm around her shoulders. "You know we don't mean anything by it."

The doors opened and they walked to Alex's suite. Alex slid her key card in and said, "Ok, we're gonna go in, get ready, and get outta here. No fooling around. Is that understood, guys?"

Serena raised her hand to her forehead and saluted Alex. "Yes, ma'am."

Alex took their outfits out of her closet and distributed them. "Ok, hurry up, guys."

After everyone had gone to their respective dressing areas, the girls took off their heels. "These pumps certainly look more comfortable than they actually are," Alex muttered.

Olivia kicked her own heels out of the way and agreed, "Ugh. Tell me about it. I'm almost dreading the formal segment of your party." Alex laughed softly.

Olivia pulled her halter over her head and slid out of her dress. Alex turned around expectantly and smiled at Olivia over her shoulder. "Unzip me?"

"Sure," Olivia said, unzipping Alex's dress and helping her out of it. Alex leaned back a little so that her back barely grazed Olivia's nipples. She giggled softly when she felt Olivia shiver slightly against her.

"Cold, Liv?" she teased.

Olivia quickly turned Alex around to face her. "Kiss me, princess."

Alex happily obliged. "You're lovely, babe. And the world's best kisser, too."

"So that's why you keep me around?" Olivia joked.

"Damn. I guess I'm busted, huh?" Alex replied, capturing her lips again.

At that moment, Serena and Casey came back in the room. "Whoa!" Serena shouted.

Olivia and Alex turned around and quickly covered their breasts with their hands. "Oh my god, guys, stop spying on us!" Alex yelled.

"We weren't spying…intentionally," Casey said in their defense. "We came to ask you if we could borrow some lipstick."

"Yeah, sure you did," Alex responded sarcastically. Nonetheless, she pointed to her makeup case on the dresser. "Go help yourselves. And hurry up so Liv and I can get dressed."

"Aw, you guys are cute. Matching undies," Serena said, glancing down at their underwear.

Olivia's jaw dropped. "Serena, stop staring!"

Giggling, Serena and Casey got the lipsticks they wanted and went back into the bathroom. Alex rolled her eyes and locked the door. "Peace at last."

"Thank god," Olivia muttered.

Alex changed into her dress, which was a two-piece turquoise velvet gown with gold and silver beads and a gold silk organza veil. The top and belt of the skirt had an intricate hand-beaded Egyptian lotus design with shimmering fringe hangings made from glass and seed beads. Tiny rhinestones outlined the costume and diamond cut-outs were on both sides of the skirt, which contained a long center slit. Twirling around, she modeled the dress for Olivia. "How does it look?"

"Absolutely gorgeous," Olivia said, checking her out as she pulled on her own skirt. "It's as sparkly as it is sexy. And your boobs look amazing in the top."

"I know! I even have cleavage!" Alex said excitedly. She looked at Olivia's costume. "Wow. You look amazing, stunning, hot, sexy, beautiful—"

Olivia smiled. "So you like what you see, huh?"

Alex nodded. "And your cleavage…mmm. Never in my life have I seen cleavage this hot!"

Olivia laughed. "You say that whenever my cleavage is showing." All jokes aside, even Olivia was pleased at how great she looked. Her two-piece brown satin gown was covered with several multicolored beads in elaborate swirling designs as well as silver and gold holographic sequins. The fringe beadwork on the haltered bra and skirt was made from gold and amber glass and seed beads, metallic beads, and twisted and standard bugle beads. The two-panel skirt had an iridescent sequin edging and revealed her right leg almost entirely.

"No, it's even hotter this time. I'm serious," Alex insisted. "Your cleavage is much more pronounced in this top. And those abs…I just wanna rip your costume off and—"

Alex was interrupted by a knock at the door. "We're ready!" Kathy yelled.

"Ok, ok," Alex grumbled, unlocking the door to let Kathy, Elliot, Serena, and Casey in.

"Whoa, Liv! Nice cleavage!" Casey observed.

Olivia grinned and shook her chest at her. "Thanks."

Serena admired the amount of skin the skirt afforded. Without even thinking, she slid her hand up and down Olivia's thigh. "Nice leg!"

Alex quickly slapped Serena's hand away. "Hey! Hands off my harem girl!"

"Careful, Serena. You might lose a hand," Kathy joked.

"Hey, don't hit her!" Casey cried. She picked up Serena's hand and placed several tender kisses over it.

"Pussy whipped," Olivia said with a grin, sliding on her matching beaded arm gauntlets.

"That color looks really good on you, Liv," Kathy said.

"Thanks," Olivia replied.

"Liv, don't harem dancers usually wear pants?" Elliot asked.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "When we were getting our dresses made, we tried the pants first and they just seemed…I dunno…off. So we went with the skirt and it looked 100 times better."

"Where were these made?" Serena asked.

"The final designs we chose were made in Egypt," Alex explained.

"They're lovely," Kathy said.

Alex slid on her silver arm cuffs. "Ok. Where did I put my solitaire necklace?"

Olivia went over to the dresser and picked up Alex's rose-cut diamond solitaire necklace. Dangling it in Alex's face, she asked, "This little thingy?"

Alex smiled and turned around for Olivia to put it on her and fasten the clasp. "I love you, Liv. I'd probably forget my brain if you didn't tell me where it was."

Olivia chuckled. "Oh, Alex."

"Am I missing anything else?" Alex asked, turning back around.

"A spray-on tan?" Serena teased. Olivia and all their friends laughed.

Alex frowned and looked down at her arms and chest. "I'm not that white, am I?"

"You're perfect," Olivia swore, softly kissing her lips.

"Ooh, I have the greatest idea!" Serena exclaimed. "Why don't we get a picture of the two sexy star dancers kissing?"

Alex grinned at Olivia. "I have no argument."

"Me neither," Olivia replied.

Serena grabbed Alex's camera. "Ok, you two. Strike a pose!"

Alex leaned in near Olivia's mouth and parted her lips slightly. Olivia smiled and parted her lips as well. "Ooh, sensual. I like that," Serena said. After snapping the picture, she ordered, "Ok, now you two actually need to kiss this time."

"Not a problem with me," Olivia replied, pulling Alex in for the kiss. Their friends cheered as Serena snapped a few pictures.

Serena showed everyone the pictures. "Wow, Liv. You two are pure sex," Casey said.

"Speaking of pure sex," Alex began. "We forgot to put on body glitter! Let me glitter your boobs, Liv."

"Is glitter the new code word now?" Elliot teased.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Alex and I are more creative than that."

Alex opened her container of body glitter and started to rub some on her boobs and Olivia's. She took special care not to get the glitter on either of their costumes. As Alex's smooth fingers caressed her cleavage, Olivia tried her hardest not to get flustered. She failed.

"Is it just me or does Liv look like she's about to jump outta her skin?" Serena asked.

"As if you don't feel that way when Casey touches your boobs," Olivia shot back.

"Don't mind her," Alex told her softly. She let her lips brush ever so lightly over the pulse point on her neck. This time, Olivia literally did jump a little.

"See, told ya!" Serena said smugly.

Madeline knocked loudly on the door. "Is everyone almost ready?" she asked.

"Yeah, Mom! Give us a sec!" Alex shouted.

"Hurry up because the dancers just arrived! You need to go through your routines one more time!"

"Ok, Mom!" Alex ran over to get some lipstick for herself and Olivia. "Here. Put this on. I need to double check and make sure I'm not forgetting anything else."

Olivia put her hand to Alex's chest. "Sweetie, your heart is beating a mile a minute! Come on, take some deep breaths. That's right. In, out, in, out."

Alex continued taking deep breaths to try to calm her nerves. She picked up their pairs of sandals and asked, "Barefoot or sandals?"

"I think it will look more authentic if we go without," Olivia replied.

"Me, too," Serena said.

"Oh! I can't believe I almost forgot! The henna artists need to henna our feet, hands, and around our belly buttons," Alex said.

"How long is it gonna take to dry?" Olivia wanted to know.

"Oh…about 15 or 20 minutes. Then we need to leave it on about an hour before flaking it off," Alex replied.

"Are we practicing the dance before or after we get the henna done?" Olivia asked.

"After. That's why we need to get a move on. I want it to dry first," Alex explained. Taking one last look around, she grabbed her camera and veil and bolted for the door. "Come on, guys!"

They all looked at each other and shook their heads. "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's super Alexxxxxxx!" Olivia teased.

Once in the elevator, Olivia suggested, "Sweetie, maybe we should practice before we get hennaed. That way we can get everything over and done with before people start coming in, and no one will see our dance before it's actually time."

Alex took a moment to ponder. "Hmm…you're right. Sounds like a much better idea."

The elevator doors opened and Alex ran to the ballroom. "Where's the fire, Alex?" her father asked as she sped past her parents to get to the belly dancers.

"I was wondering the same thing," Elliot joked.

"Ok, are you guys ready?" Alex asked the dancers.

"Are you?" Yasmin, the lead belly dancer, asked.

Alex nodded. "Yep. I'm so excited."

Yasmin smiled. "Good." She nodded appreciatively at Alex and Olivia's costumes. "Girls, your bedlehs are beautiful."

"Thank you," Alex and Olivia responded together.

Yasmin instructed one of the dancers to move Alex's chaise back so they could have plenty of room. She turned back to Alex and Olivia. "And girls, remember that when you do the karsilama at the end you need to face each other and be on beat. This is a very fast, very lively rhythm and it's easy to miss a step. Just concentrate and let the music guide your body. Got it?"

Alex and Olivia nodded. "Let's hope so," Alex muttered to Olivia.

"Ok, everyone. Get into your positions," Yasmin ordered. Alex and Olivia ran up on the dais with the other dancers and got into place. They were a few steps in front of all the other women. The musicians started playing their instruments and everyone launched into the routine.

When they finished a few minutes later, their friends and Alex's parents gave a big round of applause. "That was great, sweetie!" John shouted.

"Way to go, Liv!" Elliot shouted encouragingly.

"That was flawless, girls. Ok, Alex. Are you ready for your drum solo?" Yasmin asked.

Alex nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." The dancers all cleared the dais so she could begin.

"Wow, Alex has got some moves!" Elliot said, watching Alex twirl around gracefully.

"She looks so beautiful," Olivia said in awe.

"Yeah, gymnastics really is coming in handy," Serena added. "Floor routines always incorporate dance. Her body is really lithe."

Alex finished without missing a beat. Again, much applause was given. Grinning, Alex ran down the steps. "How did I do?"

"You were amazing, sweetie," Olivia said, proudly rubbing her back.

"I agree," Serena pitched in. "You owned the stage."

"Thanks, guys," Alex replied sincerely. She glanced at the clock. "Ok, henna time!" Taking Olivia's hand, she led her over to one of the henna tents.

Once their henna was done, Alex turned to Olivia and whispered, "Wow, I'm glad that's over. It tickled my stomach!"

Olivia laughed. "Felt really good to me."

"We should convince Elliot to get henna done."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "Yeah. Good luck with that!"

Alex stood up. "Let's go to the meeting room. The bouncers are gonna start letting people in in like 15 minutes and I don't wanna chance anyone seeing me."

"Be careful not to smudge!" Anjali, one of the henna artists, warned.

"We will!" Olivia replied, following Alex out the ballroom.

A half hour later, Olivia opened a door to the ballroom just slightly and peeked in. The place was already considerably packed. "Damn! People are filing in fast!" Olivia said. "Ooh, I just saw Fin and Monique come in!"

Casey and Serena came up behind them. "Hey, Alex, your dad just told us that 10 people were already kicked out for having fakes," Serena informed her. "The bouncers are being really anal. People were trying to push and shove to get in."

"I feel like this is a 21 and over club," Alex said with a laugh.

"Well, it is pretty exclusive," Casey said.

Madeline came up behind them and put a hand on Alex's shoulder. Alex jumped slightly and turned around. "Gosh, Mom, you startled me! Is my horse here yet?"

"Yes, Alex. Everything is taken care of," Madeline answered.

Alex turned to Olivia. "Liv, what if the horse takes a shit on the red carpet?"

"Alexandra! Watch your language!" Madeline scolded.

"He won't, babe," Olivia assured her.

"What if I fall off?" Alex continued.

Olivia smiled. "You won't, babe."

"Ah, I can't stand the suspense!" Alex exclaimed. "I want to go out there already!"

Olivia grabbed her arm. "Whoa there, princess. Party doesn't start until 8. Remember what I said about deep breaths?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah. What time is it now?"

"7:03," Madeline answered. "You still have quite awhile. The cake isn't even here yet." She gave Alex a hug and continued, "I'm going to find your father again. You girls go back and wait in the meeting room."

"What are we gonna do in the meantime?" Alex asked.

"Continue letting your mehndi set," Madeline said, taking her leave.

At around 7:40, Madeline came into the meeting room. She looked down and gasped when she saw that Alex and Olivia hadn't scraped the hardened henna paste off yet. "Girls, you have 20 minutes before this party starts and you aren't even ready!"

Alex had to stifle a groan. "Mom, it'll take 5 minutes tops. No biggie. Can you just tell Anjali and Sita to come in and remove the paste?"

Her mother pursed her lips. "Fine. After this is removed, make sure you take care of any other cosmetic adjustments promptly."

Once the henna artists had removed the hardened paste, they set the mehndi with a layer of eucalyptus oil. "This oil will also give your skin a nice glow," Sita told Alex.

Alex smiled at Olivia as Anjali rubbed some oil across Olivia's skin. "We're glowing."

Olivia smiled back. "We always glow together."

Madeline returned a few minutes later. "Go around and wait at the back with Nancy. I need to speak with the party planner and then your father and I will meet you to give you further instructions."

"But, Mom! We need sandals if we're going outside," Alex said.

Her mother groaned and shook her head. "Run upstairs and get your sandals then. Absolutely no playing around, you two!" she ordered, pushing them out the door.

"Hey, stop pushing!" Alex complained.

Olivia smirked as she watched Madeline run off. "Looks like your mom has had one too many energy drinks."

"She's had one too many of something," Alex muttered. "Go find the rest of the crew and then we can go upstairs and put on our sandals."

"Will do," Olivia promised. She slapped her ass and ran off before Alex could pinch her.

A few minutes later, the group walked outside into the brisk night air. "Brrr! It's chilly out here!" Alex whined, wrapping her veil around her.

Olivia wrapped her arm around Alex's shoulders. "We won't be out here long."

The trainer backed the black Arabian stallion out of his trailer and brought him over to Alex. Alex smiled. "Hi, Nancy."

"Hey, Alex! Happy birthday!" Nancy replied. "Ready to make your grand entrance?"

Alex nodded. "Yep. How's Thunder tonight?"

Nancy held Thunder by his lead rope and responded, "He's good. He was a little tired earlier, but he's all perked up now."

Alex stroked Thunder's mane and cooed to him. She turned to Nancy. "He's so gentle."

"Yeah, he's a pretty good ride, too," Nancy replied. "Is his tack ok? I know your theme is Arabian Nights, so I wanted him to look traditional."

Alex appreciatively ran her fingers over the tack. The purple tasseled halter and breastplate were made from Syrian wool and decorated with jewels and Arabian cowries (seashells). The nose chain on the halter was made from real gold. "He looks gorgeous. And his coat is so shiny and healthy."

"Thank you," Nancy replied. "I'm glad everything is to your liking."

Alex took the lead rope from Nancy and turned him toward Olivia. "Hey, Thunder. Say hi to Olivia."

Thunder snorted at Olivia and nuzzled her cheek. Alex laughed and said, "I think he likes you."

Olivia gently petted his jaw and replied, "Yeah, I think so, too. He's beautiful."

"He's tall, too!" Casey said.

"Exactly how tall is he?" Serena asked.

"16.2 hands," Nancy responded.

"Hands? What's that?" Elliot asked.

"A hand is basically the equivalent of 4 inches. So if a horse is 16.2 hands, that means he's about 5 feet, 6 inches tall from the ground to the withers, or the base of the neck," Alex explained.

"Wow. That means he's over six feet tall if you count the neck and head," Elliot said.

Olivia patted Alex's back. "Our resident horse expert. Is there anything she doesn't know?"

"Hey, Serena rides, too," Casey reminded her, rolling her eyes.

Olivia frowned. "I never said she didn't," she shot back.

Alex looked from Casey to Olivia. "Um, Casey, I'm sure Olivia didn't mean to offend. We all know Serena is a superb rider."

"Can we stop talking about me like I'm invisible?" Serena snapped.

"Yeah, not getting into this one," Elliot muttered to Kathy. He started to walk around the horse.

"Whoa, El! Be careful!" Alex shouted.

Elliot gave Alex a confused look. "What'd I do?"

Alex walked over to Elliot and gently placed her hand on the horse's rump. "Whenever you walk around the back of a horse, you always need to touch the hip to let him know your intentions. Otherwise, you can get kicked pretty hard."

Elliot laughed nervously. "Oh, thanks for telling me. Definitely don't want that to happen!"

At that moment, Madeline and John walked up to join them. "Thank god," Olivia whispered to Alex.

"Ok, Alex. When the fire breather blows the last set of flames out of his mouth, the drumming will abruptly come to a stop. That's your cue. The curtains will be pulled back and you can start your ride down the center aisle," John informed her.

"And the dancers will have all moved to the side to greet you by the time the curtains open. Wait until they lift the palm leaves and throw the rose petals before you pass between each pair of them. Everything should be synchronized and done fairly quickly," Madeline added.

"Ok," Alex said, nodding quickly.

Rabia, the party planner, ran up to them. "At this point, there are about 30 kids that still need to be let in, so we're going to be a tad behind schedule. Once it's clear outside, you're going to go around to the front, ride through the lobby, and make your entrance in the ballroom."

Alex groaned. "Are you serious? I cannot believe people couldn't even manage to be punctual! This party is supposed to start at 8, not 8:05, not 8:15—"

"Alex, watch your tone," Madeline scolded.

"We're trying to speed things up as much as we can," Rabia explained.

"I know," Alex sighed. "I'm just a little edgy."

"Everything's going to work out fine, Alex," John told her. "Just be patient." He and Rabia went back inside the hotel.

"Ugh. Tonight was supposed to be perfect," Alex said, pouting and folding her arms.

Olivia rubbed Alex's arm and whispered in her ear, "You're so sexy when you pout."

Alex giggled. "Your breath is warm. Feels good."

Olivia blew lightly against her ear. "How does this feel?"

Alex bit her lip sharply. "Almost too good."

"I want to kiss you right now," Olivia whispered.

Alex turned to face her. "Mom's standing just a few feet away."

"Let's go behind the trailer," Olivia suggested.

Alex hesitated for a few seconds. She looked from her mother to the horse trailer and tried to think of a feasible excuse for walking away from the rest of the group with Olivia. "Ok," she finally told Olivia. Clearing her throat, she said, "Hey, Mom? Liv and I are gonna walk around for a little bit because we're freezing. We'll be right back." Kathy, Elliot, Serena, and Casey all tried to keep a straight face.

Alex started to walk off with Olivia when Madeline grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side. "Alexandra, I was not born yesterday," she whispered harshly. "You will stay right here."

"But Mom!" Alex protested. "We won't stray far."

"I know you won't because you're not going anywhere," Madeline responded tersely.

Alex groaned loudly. She and Olivia walked back over to their friends. "Sometimes I think it would be better if we'd never come out to your mom," Olivia said.

"I hear ya," Alex agreed.

Fifteen minutes later, Rabia came back outside. "Alex, the coast is clear now and the curtains are drawn. I told the drummers to beat for a few more minutes to give you enough time to get there."

"Ok," Alex said, taking a deep breath and grabbing Thunder's lead rope. "Let's go."

When they arrived at the front of the hotel, two male models were waiting to help Alex mount the horse. "No, guys. I can mount by myself," Alex insisted, getting slightly irritated.

"Alex, there aren't any stirrups," Serena reminded her.

"I know. I don't care. I'll jump up. It's not like I've never ridden bareback before," she replied. Olivia grinned and started to open her mouth but Alex shot her a warning look.

"Darling, you're supposed to be a princess, not a cowgirl," Madeline informed her. "Let these young gentlemen help you."

"I'll help her up," Olivia volunteered. Alex grabbed onto the horse's mane while Olivia offered her open palm to step into. Once Alex's foot was securely in her hand, Olivia gave her a boost up. Alex easily brought her other leg over and settled comfortably on the stallion's back.

Madeline smiled at Olivia. "You're strong, young lady."

Olivia grinned. "Well, it's not like Alex weighs that much."

"Can you remove my shoes, Liv?" Alex asked.

"Sure, sweetie," Olivia replied. She removed Alex's sandals and handed them to Madeline to keep.

They made their way through the lobby and to the front of the ballroom. Alex's heart was racing with both excitement and trepidation. Her palms began to sweat. A thousand thoughts ran through her head as she waited for the drumming to cease. _What if Thunder stops_ _and refuses to walk again? What if he rears? What if he takes off down the carpet? What if I fall off? What if I slip and fall flat on my ass when I dismount? How are people going to react to my entrance? _She shook her head quickly to regain focus and wondered how much longer before the drumming would finally stop. A mere couple of minutes seemed to drag on for hours. She instinctively reached down and squeezed Olivia's hand for support. Olivia looked up at her and silently squeezed back. Their eyes met and in that split second, all of Alex's fears dissipated. With Olivia's confidence in her, she felt like she could do anything.

After what seemed like an eternity, the drumming ceased. "It's showtime," Olivia said with a grin.


	42. Showtime

**Chapter 42: Showtime**

The curtains slowly opened. Everyone began clapping when they saw Alex atop the Arabian. Like clockwork, the belly dancers all took their places on each side of the carpet and picked up the palm tree leaves. They tilted the leaves forward to form an arch over the carpet. Alex took a deep breath and nudged the horse forward. As she came down the center, cheers and screams erupted from her guests. Cameras started to flash everywhere.

Olivia smiled proudly as she watched Alex ride down the carpet. "God, she's so gorgeous," she said to Serena.

"Isn't she, though?" Serena agreed.

When Alex arrived at the marble steps, she brought Thunder to a halt and smoothly dismounted. Two belly dancers escorted her up to the dais while another one started leading the stallion back down the red carpet and out of the ballroom. Alex turned around and waved at the crowd.

"Oh my god!" Olivia exclaimed suddenly.

"What is it?" Madeline asked in alarm.

"She needs her tiara! It's in her suite!" Olivia explained.

Madeline smiled and sighed in relief. She handed Olivia the key card to Alex's suite. "Here you go, dear."

Olivia returned with Alex's tiara in record time. She decided to go through one of the back doors of the ballroom to avoid the crowd. Alex smiled brightly at her as she walked up the stairs. Another round of cheering and clapping erupted as Olivia gently placed the tiara on Alex's head. Alex wrapped her arms tightly around Olivia's neck and kissed her on the cheek.

By this time, Elliot, Kathy, Serena, and Casey had all made their way to the front of the crowd. "That moment was so beautiful," Kathy said.

Olivia started to walk back down the steps when Alex grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I need to give the key card back to your mom," Olivia explained.

"Promise me you're coming back?" Alex insisted.

Olivia smiled. "I wouldn't let you down, baby."

After returning the key card to Madeline, Olivia joined their friends to watch Alex give her speech. Rabia handed the microphone to Alex. Alex tapped the head of the microphone and cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. A spotlight was focused directly on her.

When the crowd had quieted down, Alex began, "Hey, everyone! I'd like to take a moment to thank you all for coming!" She paused as more cheers, screams, and declarations of affection were thrown her way. When the noise had settled again, she continued, "As you all know, there are two segments to my party: costume and formal. When it's time for the formal segment, you can retrieve your gowns or tuxes from the wardrobe attendants and get changed in the dressing rooms reserved. There are separate areas for guys and girls. Last but not least, there's plenty of food, drink, and entertainment to go around, so just let loose and enjoy yourselves!" At the end of her speech, confetti launchers shot huge bursts of confetti into the air. More screams erupted.

The DJ started playing music and the crowd dispersed to various parts of the ballroom. Alex gave the microphone back to Rabia and motioned for Olivia to come back up on the dais. Olivia was all too happy to comply. Alex took a seat on her chaise and made room for Olivia to sit beside her. "I'm so glad to have you right beside me," Alex said gratefully.

"I'm happy to share this with you," Olivia replied.

"When do you wanna perform our dance?" Alex asked.

Olivia shrugged. "I dunno. How about after we have some snacks?"

"Sounds good to me. Ugh. I'm getting nervous all over again."

Olivia pointed to Alex's cake, which was set up next to one of the buffet tables. "When are you gonna cut your cake?"

Alex grinned and licked her lips. "Maybe in a couple hours? I haven't quite decided yet. But by then, all the major performances will be outta the way."

"Did you see how many presents you had stacked up outside? It's insane."

Alex laughed. "I don't know what I'm gonna do with them all. Maybe I'll store 'em in the guest house or something."

"Or you could stack 'em in one of the empty rooms in the main house. It's not like you're tight on space," Olivia said with a chuckle.

"Hmm…true. Do you think the photographer got some really good shots of you putting my tiara on?"

"Probably."

Alex took one of Olivia's hands into her own and rubbed her thumb over the smooth skin. She looked into her eyes and said, "Having you crown me meant so much to me. It'll probably be the moment that stands out to me 30 years from now."

Olivia brushed a curl back from Alex's face and told her, "Don't make me cry."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Alex replied.

"You gonna go out there and mingle with the crowd?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah, but not right now. I just wanna sit here with you."

"So how did you feel when you were up there on top of Thunder?"

Alex sighed. "Unbelievable. My adrenaline was pumping and I just felt on top of the world."

"There was no doubt in my mind that you'd pull it off," Olivia said with a smile. "Highest royalty couldn't have done it better."

Alex blushed. "Liv…"

"You know, being up here reminds me of Lite Brite," Olivia joked.

Alex looked around and laughed. "Yeah. The neon colors are pretty bright up here."

"You want me to get you somethin' to eat?" Olivia offered.

Alex nodded. "That'd be great."

Olivia returned shortly with two plates and handed one to Alex. "I made sure to get you lots of fondue. I thought you'd like to sample each fountain."

"Thank you," Alex replied. She picked up a tangerine slice covered with white chocolate.

Olivia picked up a dark chocolate-dipped strawberry and took a bite. She held out the rest of the strawberry and fed it to Alex. Alex grabbed Olivia's finger and sucked off some chocolate that had dropped on it. Olivia laughed. "You're supposed to eat the strawberry, not my finger!"

"What can I say, Liv? I'll eat anything covered in chocolate."

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "Anything, you say?"

Alex gave her a gentle shove. "Oh, Liv. So dirty."

"Would you have me any other way?" Olivia asked, giving her a lopsided grin.

"Not at all," Alex replied, feeding her a strawberry in return.

"Some of those appetizers looked _really_ tempting," Olivia said. "But I feel like I'd be eating a second dinner! Besides, I wanna leave room for cake."

"We'll have plenty of room, babe," Alex told her.

A few minutes later, the gang walked up the steps to join them. "So I see Alex is engaging in her favorite pastime—eating," Serena quipped.

Alex gave a sly smile. "That's not my favorite pastime by a long shot."

Serena looked at Casey and said, "Doesn't take a rocket scientist…"

"Casey, are those meatballs?" Alex asked, trying not to drool.

Casey laughed. "Yeah. Pretty good, too."

Olivia looked at Alex and smiled. "You don't even have to ask, baby." She got up and took their empty plates to dispose of them.

"Hey, Rabia?" Alex asked.

"Yes, Alex?" Rabia answered.

"Can you bring some more throw pillows and rugs so my friends can sit beside me?"

Rabia nodded. "Sure. Just a moment."

When Rabia returned, Casey, Serena, Elliot, and Kathy sat down comfortably around Alex's chaise. "So how does it feel to be treated like a princess?" Elliot asked.

Alex laughed. "Pretty damn good."

* * *

Apricot couscous, chicken kabobs, baked feta with marinara, feta and lamb-stuffed grape leaves, edamame hummus, Greek shrimp bruschetta, Persian spinach and yogurt dip, spanakopita, and Moroccan meatballs were just a few of the hors d'oeuvres that graced the buffet tables. Olivia narrowed down her options to some of the food she thought Alex would like the most. As she was piling food on a plate, she felt someone bump her shoulder from behind. She turned around and saw that it was Lexie.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Liv!" Lexie apologized.

Olivia flashed a tight smile. "It's ok." _I still can't believe Alex invited you_, she thought.

"You know, I think you and Alex make a really cute couple. You guys have been together awhile. And you seem to love each other so much."

"Yep, we do," Olivia responded. _I really wish you'd stop talking to me._

"Your costume is really pretty," Lexie complimented.

"Thanks." As much as she didn't care for Lexie and was suspicious of her intentions, she wondered exactly how tight things were between her and Abbie. Even though she knew she should refrain from mentioning Abbie at all, she wanted to get a read off Lexie to discern if Abbie had any plans to crash Alex's party. "So…what's Abbie up to tonight?"

Lexie rolled her eyes. "She's not planning on sneaking in, if that's what you're getting at. She told me she was hanging out with some old friends."

"Was she pissed at you for coming to Alex's party?" Olivia asked.

"She tried to brush it off and act like it didn't matter, but I could tell it bothered her. I mean…Alex and I have been friends for years, so I'm not here to offend anyone. But Abbie would snap at me whenever I mentioned anything to do with the party."

"I see," Olivia commented dryly. She continued down the buffet table.

"Liv, I know you and Abbie have had quite a few run-ins, but I want you to know that I hate Abbie's pursuit of Alex just as much as you do."

Olivia's eyebrows jumped up and she turned back around. "Really?"

Lexie nodded. "Yeah. I think I've started to fall for her but I can't gauge how much she really likes me. She seems so hung up on Alex sometimes."

Olivia's curiosity was definitely piqued. "How so?"

"Well, we can be talking and if she sees Alex walk by, sometimes she'll stop mid-sentence and just stare at her. Or she'll make some snide remark concerning Alex when we aren't talking about anything to do with her at all. I don't quite know what to make of it."

_I know what to make of it—that stupid bitch is still obsessed with my girl and if she tries one more thing, I'll hurt her_, Olivia thought angrily.Of course, she didn't want to sound like a total bitch, so she just responded, "Yeah, well…she cheated on Alex so I'd be careful if I were you. I know she's your girl and you care about her a lot, but she's not to be trusted."

"She does have a good heart, Liv. I know that much," Lexie said in her defense.

"Whatever you say," Olivia muttered.

"Can I tell you a secret, Liv?" Lexie asked.

_Oh, what the hell?_ Olivia thought. "Sure."

"Before you and Alex started dating, I used to have a little crush on you."

_You had what on me?_ "Um…ok," Olivia replied, not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah…I'd planned to talk to you at one of the parties last summer, but I kinda got preoccupied," Lexie said with a grin.

"I bet," Olivia commented dryly. _Like everyone doesn't know your history, _she thought. She finished putting the last items on the plate and said, "Well, I gotta get this food to Alex. Have fun at the party."

"Bye," Lexie said, watching her leave.

Olivia returned and handed Alex her plate. Alex flashed Olivia a bright smile. "Oh, wow, Liv! Thanks! Everything looks _so_ good! I hope I have room for it all."

Serena smiled. "I'm sure you will."

Alex smirked at Serena and then turned to Olivia again. "Hey, I saw you talking to Lexie," she started. "What were you guys talking about?"

Olivia recounted the conversation for Alex. When she was finished, Alex frowned and asked, "Lexie used to have a crush on you?"

Olivia laughed. "You're not worried about the fact that Abbie still obsesses over you or might try to sneak in, but you're concerned that Lexie had a crush on me? Besides, _you_ kissed her."

Alex rolled her eyes. "She kissed me first, Liv."

"But you kissed back," Olivia pointed out.

"And then I pulled away. Remember? We'd broken up."

Olivia smiled. "I'm just messing with you, babe."

"I know, I know. It's just weird what Lexie said about crushing on you."

"How is that weird?" Olivia asked.

"Well, it's like we're all connected—kinda like that chart on L Word. Casey's dating Serena. Serena kissed Lexie, Abbie's now dating her; I've kissed Lexie, and I used to date Abbie. And Lexie crushed on you and would've tried to get with you as soon as she cleared her list."

Casey groaned. "Don't remind me. I had to watch Serena make out with that skank."

"And I had to watch you make out with that jerk you used to date, so I guess we're even," Serena countered, mildly annoyed.

"But I was actually _dating_ Derek; you just made out with a random girl," Casey argued.

Serena turned to face her with her mouth open in shock. "Ok, one, she was on the squad with me and I've known her for awhile, and two, that's not the first time we made out."

Casey's expression mirrored Serena's. "What? How many times have you kissed her?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "It's not like I keep tally!"

"So many times that you can't even remember?" Casey asked in disbelief.

"Casey, I'd get tipsy sometimes at parties and make out with her. She's a good kisser with a nice body. I don't remember how many times it happened, but it wasn't enough to make me a makeout whore."

"That's because Lexie already has that title!" Casey retorted.

Alex smiled and whispered to Olivia, "Who needs belly dancers when you have all the entertainment you need right here?"

Olivia laughed softly. "I know, right?"

"Maybe you need to act as referee, El," Kathy suggested.

Elliot snorted. "Hopefully it won't get that bad."

Serena ignored them all. "So are you saying that if Lexie wasn't the biggest slut in your book, I'd come in next?"

Casey's cheeks flushed red with anger. "Stop twisting my words! I never said you were a whore! All I wanted to know was how many times you kissed her!"

Serena stood up. "And what number would catapult me into the land of whoredom? 5, 6, 10?"

Olivia burst out laughing. Serena glared at her. "I'm glad you find this fucking funny, Olivia! Especially considering how you have more notches on your belt than I do!"

Olivia glared at her. "Don't you dare bring me into this!"

"Ouch," Elliot interjected.

"Out of line, Serena!" Alex snapped, her face turning red.

"I don't judge you, Serena. You know that. Let's just drop it. It's Alex's birthday and we shouldn't argue," Casey said.

"Oh, so when you're backed into a corner, you suddenly remember it's Alex's birthday? Funny how her birthday didn't matter to you when you wanted to grill me on how many times I'd kissed a girl who doesn't even matter to me!" Serena shouted, storming down the steps.

"Serena!" Casey yelled. Serena kept going. "Serena, wait!" Casey ordered. Groaning loudly, she put down her plate and ran down the steps just as Serena was exiting the back of the ballroom.

"That doesn't sound good," Olivia said. "You stay here, babe. I'll go make sure no one gets hurt." She kissed Alex on the cheek and made her exit.

Olivia opened the door to the bathroom to find Serena and Casey yelling at each other. "Hey! Cut it out, you two!" she demanded, running over and forcing her way between them. She looked from one to the other. "You are supposed to be in love and you're yelling your damn lungs out at each other!"

"Don't give me that holier-than-thou bullshit, Olivia!" Serena yelled. "You and Alex have certainly had your share of fights!"

Olivia turned to face her. "Oh, Serena, don't fucking start with me again! This is _not_ about me! This is about the two of you being disrespectful at my girlfriend's party!"

"My girlfriend insinuates that I'm a slut and _I'm_ the one being disrespectful?" Serena asked nastily.

"I never fucking insinuated that! When I said Lexie had the title of makeout whore, that had no bearing on you! I meant that no matter how many times you made out with her or anyone else, you could never compare to her record! Stop reading so much into it! Besides, you're the one who brought up the term 'whore' in the first place!"

"If you backpedaled any faster, you'd slam into the wall, Novak!" Serena shouted.

"I am not backpedaling, and don't call me by my last name!" Casey screamed, getting in Serena's face again.

Olivia roughly pushed both of them back. "Shut the fuck up! Both of you are about to drive me insane! Casey, it did sound like you meant that the only reason Serena isn't an official makeout whore is because Lexie beat her to it, but Serena, if she insists that's not the case, then just fucking drop it! Shit! Miscommunication happens a lot, words get misconstrued, and you both need to build a fucking bridge and get over it."

Both fuming, Serena and Casey folded their arms and turned away from each other. Olivia threw up her hands exasperatedly. "Oh, come on! This is supposed to be a fun night for all of us and you two are acting like 5-year-olds! Now apologize to each other, let it go, and make up!" When neither of them made any effort to move, Olivia grabbed Casey's arm and yanked her in front of Serena.

Casey almost tripped over Olivia's feet in the process but managed to catch herself. She roughly snatched her arm out of Olivia's grasp and shouted, "Don't shove me! I don't need your help!"

Olivia decided to ignore Casey's outburst. "Kiss her," she ordered.

Serena and Casey both turned their heads to face her. "What?" they asked in unison.

"Oh, so now you're both deaf? Casey, fucking kiss Serena!"

"Olivia, who are you to tell me to do anything?" Casey demanded.

"Do you fucking love her or not?" Olivia asked.

"You know how much I love her!" Casey yelled.

"Then I shouldn't even have to tell you to kiss her."

Serena angrily swiped at her eyes as tears began to fall. "You're right. You shouldn't have to tell her." She tried to leave but Olivia held her arm.

"Serena, you could've just as easily kissed me!" Casey argued.

"But you're the one who hurt my feelings, Casey!" Serena protested.

"You misunderstood me!"

"You should never have questioned me about my past! I never asked you how many times you slept with Derek or how many guys you made out with before you dated him!"

"Ok, Serena, I'm sorry! I was outta line! Now can we please stop arguing?" Casey begged, tears now streaming down her face, too.

"You're only apologizing because Olivia told you to!" Serena accused.

"I'm apologizing because I fucking love you and I want us to be ok!"

"Ok, this is obviously going nowhere, so which one of your asses do I need to kick first to keep you from ruining both Alex's birthday and your relationship?" Olivia interrupted.

"Shut up, Olivia!" they both yelled, their throats nearly raw. Serena tried to leave again when this time, Casey grabbed her arm.

"Sweetie, don't leave. Please," Casey begged.

"Why should I stay? So you can refuse to kiss me and give me another half-assed apology?" Serena retorted.

"It was sincere! And I would kiss you if you'd stop yelling at me!"

"You guys have 5 seconds to get your tongues down each other's throats!" Olivia yelled.

"Olivia…" Casey warned, glaring at her.

"5, 4…"

"Stop it, Liv! I don't want her to kiss me if she's only doing it because you told her!" Serena insisted.

"Damn it, Serena, you know that's ridiculous! I kiss you all the time! Why must you be so fucking difficult?" Casey screamed, pressing her mouth suffocatingly against Serena's before she could protest further. Serena tried to push her back but Casey pinned her to the countertop of the sinks and tangled a hand sharply in her hair to hold her head in place. Sighing and giving in, Serena parted her lips to grant Casey's desperate tongue entry.

Olivia smiled victoriously. "Much better." Casey flipped her off without breaking the kiss with Serena.

When they stopped kissing, they wrapped each other in a warm embrace. "You don't honestly think I think you're a whore, do you?" Casey asked painfully against her ear.

"No. You just really hurt me," Serena said, holding on tight. "But I'm sorry we fought."

"I'm sorry, too," Casey agreed.

"Aww," Olivia cooed before she could stop herself.

They both looked at Olivia. "Can you give us some privacy?" Serena asked.

Olivia grinned. "You can have all the privacy you need," she said, turning on her heel to leave.

Olivia returned to the ballroom to an anxiously waiting Elliot, Kathy, and Alex. "So what happened?" Alex demanded.

"Well…they screamed at each other, cried, I told them to shut up and kiss each other or I was gonna kick their asses, and then Casey finally kissed Serena and flipped me the bird."

"So are they ok?" Kathy wanted to know.

"Nothing a little makeup sex won't cure," Olivia answered with a grin.

"They didn't break up or anything, did they?" Elliot asked.

"No. I wasn't going to let that happen."

"I want details, Liv," Alex demanded, popping a meatball into her mouth and chewing intently.

Olivia let out a deep sigh and then recounted details of everything that had happened. When she finished, Elliot shook his head and said, "Girls are way too volatile."

"No, we aren't," Alex argued. "We just don't try to be all macho like men and bottle up our emotions."

"And when we wanna be affectionate, we don't hold back," Olivia added. "When is the last time I saw you passionately kiss Kathy in front of all your male friends instead of just laying a little smooch on her?"

"Now, wait a minute. Just because my tongue isn't down Kathy's throat every five seconds doesn't mean I'm trying to act macho," Elliot argued. "Not everyone is a fan of PDA. Besides, I didn't want the guys to get all jealous because they don't have a great girl like Kathy."

Kathy, Alex, and Olivia all laughed. "Right, Elliot," Alex said.

When Casey and Serena came back several minutes later, they were holding hands. Alex, Olivia, Elliot, and Kathy all abruptly stopped talking. Serena frowned and said, "Nice to see that our problems are fodder for the gossip reel."

"We were just wondering if you guys were ok," Alex said.

Casey smiled at Serena. "Yeah, we're ok."

Serena looked at Olivia. "Hey, Liv, I'm sorry about that stuff I said."

Olivia nodded. "Don't worry about it."

"I heard Liv had to play referee," Elliot said.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Don't remind us."

"Aw, come on!" Alex said. "You know things would've only gotten worse if Liv hadn't come in and forced you to stay put and talk things out."

Serena smirked. "More like kiss things out."

"And you absolutely melted when Casey did kiss you," Olivia replied. She leaned back next to Alex on the chaise and folded her arms. "Just like Alex here. She cannot refuse these lips."

Alex gaped at her. "Oh, don't even start! All I have to do is give you the eyes and you go all goo-goo ga-ga."

"Hey, you cheat with the eyes!" Olivia insisted.

"You cheat with yours, too! And your chest and abs! We'll be in the middle of having a disagreement, and you'll maneuver your body so your shirt comes up over your abs or you'll purposely make your nipples hard!"

Olivia burst out laughing. "Oh, please! I can't make my nipples hard on purpose!"

"Oh, I beg to differ!" Alex protested.

"Ladies, let's keep this rated G for the kiddies at the party," Elliot teased.

Alex winked at Elliot and began caressing Olivia's abs with one hand. "Hey, it's my party. And there are no rules."

"Is it me or did it just get 10 degrees hotter up here?" Elliot asked, fanning himself. "Maybe I need to move closer to the ice."

"Oh, it's not just you," Serena said, watching Alex dip her finger in some chocolate. Olivia took the finger and slowly sucked off the sweet, sticky liquid.

"You know the only thing that tastes better than chocolate?" Olivia asked Alex.

"Do we even wanna hear the answer?" Casey asked.

Alex grinned. "What?"

Olivia pulled Alex close and whispered in her ear, "Your pussy. I can't wait to get you back to that suite and make love to you all…night…long."

Alex flushed red all over and her heart started racing inside her chest. "Liv, please don't tease me on my birthday."

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so not teasing," Olivia replied sultrily, placing a hand on Alex's thigh.

Olivia's touch almost seemed to sear through the material of Alex's costume. Alex closed her eyes briefly to try to calm her raging hormones. After taking several deep breaths, she opened them again and just said, "Um…I think I need to go get some punch."

Alex moved forward to get up but Olivia gently pushed her back. "No, baby. Your wish is my command tonight," Olivia insisted.

"I know…sweetie. It's just…I wanna walk off some of this energy or I'm gonna go crazy here."

"Can we say horny?" Serena teased.

Alex shot her a look and stood up. "Don't go there, Serena."

Alex came back several minutes later with two glasses of punch after mingling some with her guests. Olivia smiled as she accepted a glass and asked her, "Well, aren't we Little Miss Popular tonight?"

Alex sat down beside her and stretched out her legs. "Well, it's only polite to visit a little with some of my guests."

"Sign any autographs?" Elliot asked with a grin.

"Just a couple," Alex responded with a wink.

Olivia pointed to a kid on the floor who had grabbed the crowd's attention. "Look at Jason trying to break dance."

"He looks more like he's humping the floor," Serena commented.

Alex laughed. "I know, right? But I have to give him an E for effort."

"Speaking of dancing, I haven't gotten to dance with the princess yet," Olivia said, pouting and leaning into Alex's face.

Alex laughed and squeezed her cheeks together with one hand. "You're so cute. Why don't we go out there right now?"

Olivia jumped up and offered her hand to Alex. "You read my mind."

Everyone cleared a path so Alex and Olivia could take the floor. Serena, Casey, Elliot, and Kathy came down to gather around them with the rest of the crowd. When a new song began, Alex and Olivia moved in close to start dancing together. Colorful spotlights washed over the two of them as the crowd cheered them on. Olivia put a hand at the small of Alex's back and began guiding their bodies to the beats. They briefly backed away from each other, moving their arms in a snake-like fashion and doing figure-eights with their hips. When the rhythm changed, they started to shimmy their chests back and forth at each other.

"I wouldn't have put it past Alex and Liv to have secretly choreographed this beforehand," Casey said.

"Yeah, they just wanna make us believe it's impromptu," Elliot said with a chuckle.

A guy ran up next to Olivia to try to get in on the action, but Olivia put her hand in his face and pushed him out of the way without breaking her step. People around them laughed and Alex grinned at him smugly as she wrapped her arms around Olivia's neck.

"Man, she just owned you!" his friend shouted.

Backing up a little and leaving one hand on Olivia's shoulder, Alex started rolling her belly. When she let go, Olivia began whirling around her, picking up speed as she went.

Every time Olivia made her revolutions, the fringe of her costume brushed against Alex's exposed skin and sent shivers down her spine. When Olivia turned her back to her, she lifted her arms above her head and shook her ass. _Oh, fuck! Man, what this girl does to me_, Alex thought as she moved right up on Olivia's ass. She brought her hands around and could feel the thin layer of sweat that had started to coat Olivia's taut abs. Moving a hand down, she caressed the smooth skin of Olivia's exposed thigh. Her fingertips danced dangerously close to her warm center. Desire coursed through her body, and the diamond at the base of her throat felt oddly heavy and unnaturally warm. _I always knew this diamond was special_.

Olivia could feel the heat pulsing between their bodies and tried her hardest not to get lost in the moment. _We're in a ballroom, not the bedroom_, she kept telling herself over and over. She lifted her hair with one hand in an effort to get a little air. Alex leaned in closer, and her hot breath mixed with the sweat dripping from the tendrils of hair matted at the nape of Olivia's neck. The smell of Alex's perfume was almost intoxicating; it was sweet and airy, fruity and fresh, and meshed well with her natural scent. Feeling her knees go slightly weak, she leaned back against Alex for support as they synced their belly rolls together.

"Damn, they look hot," Fin said, coming up behind Elliot. "I don't know whether to cheer or pop a boner."

Elliot smiled at Fin. "Cheering will be just fine."

"Alex is lucky her tiara didn't fall off," Serena said.

"She's so caught up with Liv right now that I doubt she'd care," Casey murmured.

Alex and Olivia almost didn't even notice when the song ended. For a moment they just stood there, catching their breath and basking in the excitement from the crowd. Finally, they joined hands and made their way back to the dais along with their friends.

"Nice dance," Elliot said, grinning.

Alex and Olivia smiled proudly. "We thought so," Alex replied. She looked down at her veil that she'd left behind. "Damn! I could've put this veil to good use out there!"

"Maybe it's a good thing you forgot it," Elliot joked.

"Yeah, there's no telling what you would've done with that veil. When you guys started touching each other all sensual-like, I was like 'whoa!'" Serena exclaimed.

Olivia smirked. "Yeah, Alex likes to molest me on the dance floor."

Alex gaped at her. "You were the one shaking your ass like you were in a Beyoncé video! What was I supposed to do?"

Olivia laughed. "Babe, you practically jumped my ass and shoved your hand up my skirt."

"Oh, please!" Alex protested. "You make it sound so risqué."

"Alex, if that wasn't risqué, I don't know what was," Elliot remarked.

"I think even some of the belly dancers were taking notes on some of the moves you guys had," Kathy joked.

"Yep, we're hot stuff," Alex said, smiling and giving Olivia a high five.

"Man, I'm so thirsty," Olivia said. She picked up her glass of punch and gulped down the rest of it.

Alex grabbed a napkin and dabbed at Olivia's cleavage, which was glistening with sweat. "You're so sexy when you sweat."

"Right now I just wanna run outside and jump in the fountain," Olivia replied.

"I'm tempted to run with you," Alex said, laying her head on Olivia's shoulder.

A short while later, Yasmin came over to inquire about the dance routines. "Alex, the girls are ready to perform whenever you are."

"What time is it now?" Alex asked.

"5 after 9," Yasmin answered.

Alex looked at Olivia and then turned back to Yasmin. "Um…give us a few to freshen up and we'll get this show on the road."

Yasmin nodded. "Ok."

Alex stood up and took Olivia's hand. "Come on, we have an appointment with the bathroom."

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "Ooh, you make it sound so official."

After they had left, Casey remarked, "Hmm…I wonder when they'll be back from _freshening up_."

Serena laughed and replied, "Probably no time soon."


	43. Spotlight

**Chapter 43: Spotlight**

When Alex and Olivia returned, their friends were all surprised to see them back so soon. Alex couldn't help but chuckle at the shocked expressions on their faces. "Aww, did we disappoint you?" she teased.

"They could've still gone for a quickie," Casey muttered to Serena.

"Nope. We did nothing of the sort," Olivia assured them. "We have plenty of time for that later—and there will be nothing quick about it."

Alex grinned at Olivia. "Got that right."

Olivia grabbed Alex's veil and wrapped it around herself. "How do I look?"

"Very hot," Alex replied. "But I need that," she added, taking it back.

"Are you gonna dance with your tiara on?" Elliot asked.

Alex paused for a moment to think. "Hmm…nah." She took it off and gave it to him. "Hold on to it for me, ok?"

Elliot teasingly put it on his head. "I think it goes with my outfit." He turned to Kathy. "What do you think?"

Kathy laughed. "You accessorize well."

Olivia gave him a weird look. "You're scarin' me, El."

"Yeah…I think it looks much better on someone else," he said, taking it off and placing it on Kathy's head.

Alex winked at Kathy and remarked, "Beautiful." She walked over to Yasmin and said, "Hey, Liv and I are ready."

Yasmin smiled. _It's about damn time_, she thought. "Good."

Everyone cleared the dais for the belly dancers. Olivia patted Alex's back and asked, "How ya feelin', babe?"

Alex took a deep breath and responded, "Excited."

Olivia smiled. "Me, too. I'm so pumped for our big debut."

They took their places in front of the other dancers and waited for the music to begin. Yasmin took the microphone and called for the ballroom's attention. "Everyone, it is with great pleasure that I announce our first special performance tonight by none other than the birthday girl herself. Alex is going to show off her new belly dancing skills in what's sure to be a crowd pleaser. She and her friend Olivia have worked very hard, so without further ado, let's give our undivided attention to these wonderful ladies!"

Everyone started clapping and shouting words of encouragement. Alex smiled when she noticed her mother and father making their way to the front of the crowd. She turned to Olivia and whispered, "I can feel the adrenaline starting to kick in."

Olivia gave her a wide smile. "Oh yeah."

The musicians started playing and the routine began. Instruments such as the kanoun (harp), oud (lute), and ney flute blended with the rhythms of the dumbek (an hourglass-shaped drum), def (a drum resembling the tambourine), and tar (frame drum). Alex and Olivia let the rhythms of the music guide their bodies and carefully altered their movements to match the different exotic melodies. They implemented a variety of moves, including arabesques, arm waves, vertical figure eights such as mayas, horizontal figure eights, knee and hip drops, hip circles, shuffle steps, camels, belly rolls, and grapevines. The fluidity of their movements made each transition flawless.

"I love their matching henna designs," Mandi said to Monique.

"Oh, me too," Monique agreed. "Those two are really good for each other."

"Well, you and Fin are pretty cute, too," Mandi said with a grin.

Monique smiled. "Yeah, I guess we are."

"Damn straight," Fin agreed.

Casey and Serena stood next to them and watched as Alex and Olivia did their backbends effortlessly. "I bet Alex is used to that position," Casey quipped. "You know those two probably get into some seriously freaky stuff."

Serena laughed. "Hey! Don't be dirty! I can bend my body like that, too because of gymnastics."

Casey grinned. "Maybe you can do a special one for me later on tonight."

Serena's mouth dropped open and she playfully punched her girlfriend in the arm. "And you talk about Alex and Liv being freaky! I can see the wheels in _your _head turning already."

Elliot, Kathy, Monique, Mandi, and Fin all gave them a weird look. "I'm not touching that one," Fin said.

Alex took her veil and sensually dragged it over Olivia's shoulder, down her torso, and across her exposed thigh before doing a couple windmills with it. Several loud wolf whistles could be heard from the crowd.

"Damn, those two really know how to get the crowd fired up!" Fin exclaimed.

Elliot chuckled. "Yeah, tell me about it."

When it was time for the karsilama finale, the girls turned to face each other. They were so close that their rivulets of sweat blended together. The spotlight reflected off the delicate beadwork of their costumes. They did sultry hip and shoulder shimmies and added in hops, dips, and jumps. As the rhythms sped up, they perfected each movement in sync without missing a beat.

"That dance is very erotic," Kathy remarked.

Serena smiled. "Well, I think that's the nature of the karsilama. Except in other places where it's performed, it's usually a man and a woman. I guess Alex wanted to change things up a bit."

Casey turned to Serena. "We'll have to get Alex and Liv to teach us that."

Once the karsilama was completed, Alex and Olivia joined hands and bowed before the roaring crowd, both their chests heaving heavily. Alex then turned to Olivia and gave her a huge hug. "We did it, sweetie!" Alex exclaimed.

"Yep," Olivia agreed as she squeezed her tightly. "We rocked it." They joined hands again and took another bow.

Once the cameras stopped flashing, Alex wiped her brow and said, "I'll go get us some water. I'll be right back."

"Ok," Olivia said with a grin as she regretfully let go of Alex's hand. She smiled as she noticed the crowd that immediately gathered around Alex when she got to the bottom of the steps. _She's loved so much by so many people_, Olivia thought proudly.

"Yo, Liv!" Fin shouted, waving his arm and abruptly bringing her out of her thoughts.

Olivia walked down the steps and joined all their friends. Elliot patted her on the back and said, "You were great, Liv."

"Yeah, Liv. You really kicked ass!" Kathy added.

Serena smirked. "Yeah. Casey here was commenting on your um…_flexibility_."

Olivia grinned slyly and turned to Casey. "Oh, she doesn't know the half of it."

"How did it feel when you were up there in the spotlight?" Monique asked.

Olivia sighed happily. "I'd never felt anything like it before. To be up on stage with Alex and have hundreds just watching us…it was the best feeling in the world!"

"Better than sex?" Casey teased.

Olivia gave her a look. "Hey now. I didn't say that."

"That dance you two did at the end was really hot," Serena told her. "You two looked like you almost forgot everyone was there!"

Olivia looked over at Alex and smiled. Alex caught her eye and winked. Olivia turned to Serena and replied, "I think we kinda did."

"Yeah, you totally looked like you wanted to jump Alex right there," Mandi said.

Olivia laughed. "Well, she's smokin'."

"Can I have your autograph, star dancer?" Elliot teased as Alex came over to join them a few minutes later.

Alex grinned and handed Olivia her bottle of water. "Take a number."

Olivia laughed and wrapped her arm around Alex's shoulders. "I see the fame has gone to your head already, little one," she joked.

Several feet away from them, Madeline turned to John and said, "You know, Alex and Olivia had great chemistry onstage. They completely outshined all the seasoned performers."

John smiled. "Why the sudden change of heart about Olivia?"

Madeline shrugged casually. "Well…Alex really adores her, so I just want to be supportive of their friendship for our daughter's sake."

John chuckled. "I'm glad you let go of that silly notion that they were romantically involved."

Madeline gave him a thin smile. _Oh, it's not just a notion, dear, _she thought. "Well, let's go and congratulate them both."

A few minutes later, it was time for Alex to perform her solo. She turned to Olivia and squeezed her hand. "I'm so nervous."

Olivia took a deep breath and gave her an encouraging smile. "You're gonna do great. I know it."

Alex went back up on the dais and Yasmin called for the crowd's attention again. "Ladies and gentlemen, the dancing isn't over yet! Alex is going to wow us one more time tonight. She's going to be doing something very traditional and hard to master in belly dancing—the drum solo! So let's give her a big round of applause!"

Alex stood in the center of the stage and waited for the drummers to start. Once they did, all eyes were on Alex as she performed her solo. Her hip shimmies and chest undulations were crisp and on point. As a long, fast roll hit, she did a twisting shimmy followed by a pelvic tuck and chest pop to match the sharp rhythms. When the drum rolls got softer, she did rolling mayas. The grace with which she commanded the stage caused everyone to be mesmerized. Holding Olivia's gaze for a few short moments, she smiled and brought her arms inward and crossed them over her chest in a Pharaoh position. Olivia smiled back, her smile increasing as Alex did waterfalls with her arms and began gyrating her hips to the accents of the maqsoum rhythm played on the dumbeks.

"Dear god, she's gorgeous," Olivia breathed as she watched Alex perform a butterfly turn with her veil. She looked at the intense concentration on her face. She could tell that Alex was imprinting each rhythm in her mind and compelling her body to move accordingly.

"I agree," Casey said.

At the end of her solo, she froze and formed the letter "O" with her fingers over her heart. Olivia grinned from ear to ear as her friends started patting her on the back and cheering. Confetti came pouring down on Alex as the audience went wild.

"I can't believe she did that!" Kathy said.

"Oh, I know! It's like a silent shout-out," Serena said, clapping.

"Is that a traditional pose?" John asked Madeline.

_I doubt it_, she thought. "Um…if I remember correctly, I think it represents strength and harmony," Madeline lied.

"Good, good," came the reply from her husband.

After all the photographs were taken, Alex ran down the steps to join her friends. Olivia picked her up in her arms. "You were so amazing, baby!"

Alex gave her a big kiss on the cheek as Olivia placed her back on the floor. "Thanks!"

"By the way, thanks for the little shout-out," Olivia told her. "I never would've expected you to do that. I mean it's not like you did it when you rehearsed!"

Alex ran her fingers through some of the fringe on Olivia's costume. "Well, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you. I never would've been able to do it without you."

"I'm so proud of you," Olivia whispered, rubbing her arm.

"When did you think of that, Alex?" Casey asked.

"At the very end," Alex answered.

Fin pointed to the group of people approaching them. "Looks like these folks want some pictures with you."

Alex laughed and rolled her eyes. "I guess everyone wants a piece of me."

Once the excitement surrounding Alex's solo had died down some, the jugglers took the stage. Rabia, the party planner, warned everyone to move back a safe distance before the performance. Once she was satisfied, she motioned for them to begin. The four men picked up the machetes and began juggling them. Each juggler handled three machetes.

"Damn, this is better than being at the circus!" Fin said.

"Those guys are brave. I wouldn't get anywhere near those machetes," Serena said nervously.

"Yeah, Alex. Those look a little dangerous," Olivia said, taking her arm and pulling her back some more.

"Liv, we already moved back!" Alex protested. She had to smile at Olivia's protective nature. "But you're so adorable when you get all frazzled over my safety."

Olivia smiled back. "Well, I have to protect my baby."

"Who's gonna clean up if someone gets decapitated?" Elliot joked.

"Elliot, must you be so morbid and gross?" Kathy asked.

Olivia smirked. "Didn't you get the memo, El? You're assigned for cleanup duty."

After the machete act was over, the jugglers started throwing flaming batons into the air. The crowd stood in awe as they watched each magnificent ring of fire. The jugglers even exchanged their batons in the air and a couple of them did a few quick somersaults before catching them.

"I hope none of the batons accidentally hit an ice sculpture," Serena said.

Alex gave her a look. "Serena, they're trained professionals. They know what they're doing."

"Still, it would be pretty embarrassing if they couldn't catch 'em," Serena responded. She suddenly leaned in to sniff Alex.

Alex gave her a weird look and moved back. "Serena, what the hell are you doing? Do I have B.O. or something?"

Serena laughed. "No. I noticed your perfume and wanted to get a closer whiff to see if I could recognize it."

Alex laughed. "Liv got it for me. It's Juicy Couture."

"Oh yeah! I knew I'd smelled it before in the mall but I just couldn't remember the name of it," Serena replied.

Casey leaned in to sniff Alex as well. "Nice, Alex."

Alex blushed and moved back again. "Hey, what is this? Sniff Alex night?"

Olivia wrapped her arms around Alex's waist from behind. She rested her chin on her shoulder. "Everyone knows you smell lovely." She looked at Serena and Casey. "You girls better not be using that as an excuse to get close to my woman."

Serena rolled her eyes and snuggled up to Casey. "Don't worry, Liv. Lovely though she is, she's all yours."

"If you like her smell now, you should smell her when she's about to—"

"Liv!" Alex exclaimed, turning beet red and slapping her on the arm.

"Uh…I think we'll pass," Serena said awkwardly, glancing at Casey.

"Liv, do you have to share such personal details all the time?" Alex asked. "You're embarrassing me!"

"How did you know what I was gonna say?" Olivia teased.

"Because I know you too well!"

"Then what was I gonna say?"

"You were gonna say…um, you know…" Alex said, getting flustered.

"Nah, I don't know."

"You're gonna make me say it?"

"Say what?"

"C-co—" Alex said, turning away from her so she couldn't see the deep shade of crimson on her face.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you," Olivia continued.

"Liv, seriously?" Alex asked in shock, turning back toward her.

Kathy looked at Elliot and said jokingly, "I'm scared, baby."

Elliot chuckled. "You're not the only one."

Olivia stared at Alex with a smug smile. "If you don't say it, I swear I'll grab the mic and make an announcement!"

"Come!" Alex exclaimed a little too loudly. A few people turned around and looked at Alex with curious expressions on their faces. She lowered her voice and continued, "I cannot believe you made me say it in front of our friends!"

Olivia smiled. "I was just messing around, baby. And you totally wanted to say it anyway."

"I did not!"

"I can almost see your nipples hardening through your top," Olivia continued.

"No, you can't!" Alex exclaimed, quickly folding her arms over her chest. She leaned into Olivia and whispered harshly, "Stop trying to make me horny in public!"

"When are the fire breathers coming back?" Casey asked, desperate to change the subject.

"After the jugglers," Alex responded.

"Are there any girls who are fire breathers?" Casey asked.

Alex grinned. "Yeah, there are a couple. You'll see them in a few."

Serena smiled. "Good, cuz I wanna see some hot chicks swallow fire."

"Did someone say swallow?" Olivia teased. Gasping, Alex shoved her.

Once the fire breathers started performing, Olivia tucked her arm around Alex's waist and said, "This is the best night ever."

Alex snuggled closer to her and replied, "Only because of you."

Olivia laughed. "Sweetie, I'm not the one dishing out hundreds of thousands of dollars to give you this big party."

"If you weren't here, I wouldn't be able to enjoy it," Alex responded.

"Oh, Alex. You always know the right thing to say," Olivia whispered.

"I'm not just saying it, Liv. I really do mean it," Alex swore, lightly stroking her face.

Elliot cleared his throat loudly behind them. They turned around and gave him an annoyed look. "You need something, El?" Olivia growled.

"Uh, guys, the photographer is busy snapping pics of you two. Just wanted to give you a heads up before it got a little NC-17."

Alex rolled her eyes. "I swear I keep forgetting that guy is here."

Olivia frowned at Elliot. "Shutup, El. We weren't even kissing."

"But you were about to," Elliot replied.

Olivia shot him a warning look. Elliot put his hands up in surrender and continued, "Ok, ok. I'll leave you alone."

Alex looked at the photographer. "I wonder if he took any incriminating pics."

Olivia followed her gaze and responded, "We've been a little close, but I hardly doubt that's incriminating."

Alex draped her arms over Olivia's shoulders and said, "Well, I don't care. It's my birthday and I should be allowed to have as much fun as I want." She moved in closer. Noticing Olivia's hesitant look, she said, "I just wanna be near you, baby. I won't do anything that'll get us in trouble. Promise."

Olivia smiled and relaxed a little bit. The last thing she wanted to do was cause problems for Alex on her birthday and ruin her party. "I wish things were easier for us."

Alex leaned in beside her ear and whispered, "One day they will be."

Olivia pushed a couple of Alex's curls over her shoulder. "I just wish we didn't have to sneak around in front of my mom and your dad."

Alex stepped back and looked into her eyes. She rearranged one of the Swarovski crystals in Olivia's hair. "I know, sweetie. But let's not think about that tonight. Let's just focus on each other, deal?"

"Deal," Olivia replied, shaking her hand and turning back around to watch the show.

After the fire breathers finished performing, the snake charmer took the stage. He motioned for Alex to come back up on the dais. Olivia and their friends followed her. Everyone waited expectantly as the snake charmer started playing his pungi to lure the snake out of the basket. Once the snake appeared, he stood up and put the 8-ft. yellow python around Alex's shoulders.

"Alex, that python is fucking huge!" Olivia exclaimed. "He's going to crush you!"

Alex looked at Olivia and grinned while she petted the python. "Nah, Liv. He seems gentle. Wanna pet him?"

Olivia smiled and cautiously reached out a hand to pet the snake. "He's smooth." She looked at the charmer. "What's his name?"

"Sunshine," he answered.

Alex moved over on the chaise longue some and patted the space beside her. "Come on, sit down. We can share Sunshine!"

"I bet he weighs more than Alex," Casey remarked to Serena.

Serena laughed. "Oh, I'm sure of it."

Olivia sat down beside Alex and the charmer picked up the end of the snake and draped the rest of his body around Olivia's shoulders. Olivia laughed and said, "It's like we're sharing a huge feathered boa."

"He doesn't feel so heavy now that we're sharing the weight," Alex said, shifting the snake's position on her own shoulders.

"They are so cute," Mandi said to Elliot as she watched the snake slither across Alex and Olivia's shoulders.

Elliot chuckled. "Yeah. If Liv wasn't my best friend, I'd probably gag at the cuteness."

Mandi folded her arms. "You know, last year Liv used to walk around brooding a lot of the time. It was like basketball was the only thing that really made her happy. But now she's smiling all the time. Alex must be really special."

Elliot turned to her and smiled. "She is."

"I just hope I can find someone one day who makes me that happy," Mandi continued.

Elliot put his arm around Kathy. "Well, I've already found mine."

Mandi punched him in the arm. "Oh, that's right, go right ahead! Rub it in!"

Elliot laughed and rubbed his arm. "Damn, you basketball chicks are rough! Don't worry, you'll meet someone."

Mandi rolled her eyes. "That's what everyone in a relationship says."

Elliot shrugged. "Well, it's what I told Liv a year ago. She didn't believe me either. Now look at her. She's found the love of her life."

"Yeah," Mandi responded, looking off dreamily. She sighed and said, "Hey, I'm gonna go hang out for a bit. I'll meet you guys later."

"See ya," Elliot said, giving her a wave.

"Ack! He's flicking his tongue between my cleavage!" Alex exclaimed.

Olivia grinned. "He has good taste."

After they'd finished playing with the snake, Alex said, "Come on, guys. Let's go to our VIP tent. I don't want to sit up here the whole time and have folks staring at us."

"You're supposed to be the center of attention," Olivia replied.

Alex tapped her on the nose. "Well, I wanna be the center of _your_ attention. And for that, I need some privacy," she said, getting up and reaching out for Olivia's hand.

They made their way down the steps and across the ballroom. "The stilt walkers are fucking tall!" Kathy said as one passed her.

Elliot smiled. "They're supposed to be."

"Well, I know that much, silly!" Kathy replied, slapping his arm. "They just seem so much taller when you're right next to them than on TV."

Once they were all inside the tent, Alex took a seat on Olivia's lap. Olivia gave her a quizzical look and asked, "Why are you sitting on me?"

Alex grinned. "Cuz this is the best seat in the house."

A short while later, Madeline peeked inside the tent and frowned when she saw Alex on Olivia's lap. Alex quickly got off her lap and sat beside her. "I just wanted to see if you kids needed anything. Alex, may I see you for a second?"

Alex gave Olivia a nervous glance and then turned back to her mom. "Uh…sure." She got up and left the tent.

Madeline grabbed Alex's arm and said sternly, "Alex, you're in a very public place and you need to be more aware of your actions. I've told you both that I want to see no public displays of affection between you two."

Alex's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "But Mom, I was just sitting on her lap! We weren't kissing! And we're in my VIP tent! No one's allowed in here unless I say so!"

"You never know who could wander in. Do you want your father to catch you?"

Alex looked down; she hadn't thought about that. "No."

"Then behave yourself. I don't want any scandals to leave this hotel."

Alex sighed and promised, "Ok, Mom."

She rejoined her friends and took her seat beside Olivia. "What was that all about?" Kathy asked.

"My mom didn't want us cuddling. It's my fucking party. Why is everyone trying to control me?" Alex asked in annoyance.

"Sweetie, we have plenty of time to cuddle afterwards," Olivia reminded her. She gently massaged the back of Alex's neck.

"I know, baby…it's just…annoying that she would try to censor us just because we're gay," Alex replied.

"No offense, Alex…but if Kathy was sitting in my lap, you better believe her parents would kick me out," Elliot said. "Her dad would probably snap my neck, too."

"Yeah, Alex. You probably get more leeway because you're not a straight couple. When I was dating Derek, my dad would blow a gasket whenever he saw us kissing. Parents freak out about their daughters being affectionate with boyfriends because they fear they'll have sex and get pregnant. At least you don't have to worry about that," Casey said.

"Well, you don't have to worry about it anymore," Serena pitched in.

Casey smiled. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

Alex thought about it for a second before responding, "Yeah, I guess you're right. When Liv concocted that Mike story, my parents flipped out because they were worried about pregnancy."

Olivia laughed. "I remember that. They made you go to an OBGYN and everything."

Alex frowned. "It's not funny," she snapped. "You weren't the one having to spread your legs and watch some strange woman stick her fingers inside you."

"Sounds like one of Liv's one night stands," Serena quipped to Casey. Elliot, Kathy, and Casey all laughed.

"Babe, I've been to the OBGYN before. Most chicks have. Lighten up," Olivia replied. She then turned to Serena. "Shut up, Serena."

Serena ignored her. "Sure you didn't get your OBGYN's number while you were at it?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "She was hot, but um...thinking about a date was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to get the hell outta there."

"Yeah, like she was gonna go after some teen girl anyway," Casey chimed in.

Olivia smirked. "Hey, never underestimate the power of my charm. Chicks love me."

Alex snorted. "A little overconfident, don't ya think?"

"I've never been turned down once," Olivia said with a smug smile.

"You better be glad it's my birthday or I'd teach you a lesson," Alex said with a smirk of her own.

"I guess Liv brought party favors," Casey muttered to Serena.

"What are you talking about, Casey? I _am_ the party favor!" Olivia joked. Everyone laughed.

"Olivia Benson…the gift that keeps on giving," Serena said.

"Damn right," Olivia agreed.

"Don't any of you call me tonight or tomorrow either! I know the stunts you guys always pull!" Alex said, pointing her finger at the group.

Serena snickered. "Well, while we were suffering at school, you two were doing the humpty dance. Why should you guys get to have all the fun?"

"We're just good like that," Alex said, kissing Olivia on the cheek.

"Yes, we are," Olivia agreed, planting a quick kiss on Alex's lips.

Alex grinned. "You can't tease me like that," she said, pulling Olivia in for a longer kiss.

Casey rolled her eyes. "I'll go stand guard."

"Yeah, definitely don't want anyone walking in on that," Serena said.

After a few minutes, Casey noticed John walking in their direction. Pulling the tent closed, she turned back around and warned, "Alex! Your dad's making his way over!"

Olivia and Alex separated from each other with lightning speed. Alex jumped up and straightened out her costume. "I don't have lipstick smeared on my face, do I?" she asked Olivia.

Olivia shook her head and ran her fingers down the edges of her own mouth. "No. You're good."

John walked in and gave Alex a kiss on the cheek. "Are you enjoying yourself, pumpkin?"

Alex smiled. "Yes, Daddy. Thanks so much for this party."

John rubbed her back and replied, "You're most welcome. I just wanted to come by and tell you again what a wonderful job your mother and I thought you did earlier. Your hard work really paid off."

"Honestly, how were we on a scale of 1 to 10?" Alex asked, standing on her tiptoes and awaiting his answer.

"A solid 10," he confirmed. "And you looked gorgeous." He looked around Alex to Olivia and added, "You too, dear."

Olivia smiled. "Thank you, sir."

After chatting with them all for a few more minutes, John said, "Well, I'll take my leave now. I don't want to cramp your style, as the saying goes."

Alex smiled and placed her hand on her father's arm. "Oh, Daddy. No one says that now."

John chuckled and shook his head. "Ah, well. I can't keep up with you kids' lingo. Just have fun."

"We will," Olivia told him.

"And the belly dancers are performing again if you want to check them out," John added as an afterthought.

"Nah, that's ok, Daddy. We're just gonna hang out here for awhile," Alex assured him.

"See you later, Mr. C," Serena said. John gave her a quick wave and exited the tent.

Elliot let out the breath he had been holding. "Alex, I think I get more nervous around your dad than Kathy's."

Alex laughed. "You should see Liv."

Olivia waved off Alex's remark with a flick of her wrist. "Oh, please. I totally play it cool around him."

"So that's why you're sweating bullets now, huh?" Casey teased.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she mumbled.

"So, uh…are there gonna be anymore X-rated videos made tonight?" Serena asked. She and Casey burst into giggles.

Olivia gave her a look. "Um, no. And the video you saw earlier was _not _X-rated."

Serena smirked. "Right. And we're all virgins."

"I thought you were gonna be nice on my birthday," Alex accused, folding her arms.

Serena held her hands up in surrender. "All right, all right! I'll stop teasing. I'm serious about it this time. Swear."

"I'll show her X-rated," Olivia mumbled to Alex. She stood up and walked over to stand directly in front of Serena.

Serena leaned back. "Uh…what are you gonna do to me?"

Grinning wickedly, Olivia reached around her back and started to undo her top.

Serena covered her eyes. "No! No, no, no!"

Olivia moved Serena's hands and shook her chest in her face. "Well, you wanted to see X-rated." She pulled her halter over her head and slowly started to ease it down her chest.

"Liv!" Alex yelled, completely horrified. Her face was bright red. "Don't you dare!"

"No…let's see where this goes," Casey said, intrigued.

Alex jumped to her feet. "No! Liv, please stop!" She looked as if she were going to cry.

"Oh, baby, I wasn't really gonna do it," Olivia insisted, quickly pulling her halter back over her head and fastening her clasp in back. "I just wanted to freak her out a little for constantly teasing us."

Alex folded her arms and sat back down. "Whatever."

Olivia sat down beside her and put her hand cautiously on her shoulder. "Baby, I swear."

Alex turned away from her and crossed her legs. "Leave me alone, Liv."

"Sweetie, did you honestly think I was gonna flash my tits?" Olivia asked, turning Alex back toward her.

Alex glared at her. "Well, you were getting pretty damn close!"

"Come on, sweetie! You're exaggerating. That was barely 2 full inches of skin."

"It was enough!" Alex retorted hotly.

Olivia threw her hands up. "Alex, this costume shows quite a bit already, need I remind you."

"And you had to show more?" Alex asked.

Olivia clenched her jaw. "I told you I wasn't really gonna do it."

"When did you plan on stopping? After your nipples were showing?" Alex demanded.

"I wasn't gonna go that far!" Olivia yelled.

"If I hadn't yelled for you to stop, your tits would've been completely exposed!"

"That is bullshit! I had only planned to pull it down part of the way in the first place! And I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you call me a liar!" Olivia said, jumping to her feet.

"Come on, guys. Don't fight," Kathy said.

Elliot looked at Serena and Casey. "Yeah. We already got a dose of Ike and Tina tonight."

Serena and Casey's mouths dropped open. "Hey, we don't lay a hand on each other!" Casey snapped.

"Chill, Casey. I was just joking," Elliot said in his defense. "Shit. Did someone spike the punch or what?" he muttered to Kathy under his breath. Kathy snickered lightly.

"I need some air," Olivia said, starting to walk out.

Alex stood up and yelled, "Oh great, Liv! Just great! Leave! Way to be an asshole on my birthday!"

Olivia turned around to face her, her face crimson. "You started this, Alex! You had to get your panties in a bunch because of a practical joke! You push my buttons just to see how far I'll go, then when I lose my temper, you blame it all on me when it's all your doing in the first place! You just want to feel sorry for yourself!"

"Guys, please stop," Serena begged. "I didn't mean to make you fight or anything."

Alex burst into tears and sat back down. Olivia immediately regretted what she had said. Sitting back down beside her, she wrapped her arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. "No, Alex. Don't cry. Baby, don't. I'm sorry."

Serena grabbed some tissues and brought them over to Olivia. Olivia nodded her thanks and started to wipe Alex's face. "Come on, Alikins. I'm sorry," Olivia repeated. "No tears on your birthday."

Alex sniffled. "No, you're right. I overreacted and I was totally wrong to keep nagging at you. I'm sorry for getting so mad at you."

"It's ok," Olivia said. She kissed her softly on the cheek.

Alex gave a small smile and placed a peck on her lips. "Thanks for putting up with me."

"Hey, you put up with enough of my stuff," Olivia replied.

"Aww, group hug!" Casey said, running over to Olivia and Alex. Kathy, Elliot, and Serena followed her and they all wrapped their arms around them.

Olivia grinned. "Ok, now I _really_ need some air."

Alex laughed. "Yeah, me too."

Their friends let go of them. Olivia tugged on one of Alex's curls. "You're so beautiful—even when you're frustrating."

Alex smiled and kissed her on the nose. "I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"How about you take this as a compliment?" Olivia said, leaning in to capture her lips.

Standing up, Casey rolled her eyes and said, "Time to stand guard again."

A few minutes later, Elliot looked at his watch and said, "Hey, Alex, it's 5 after 10."

Alex stood up and reached for Olivia's hand. "I guess it's time for me to make the announcement for everyone to change into their formal wear."

Olivia grinned. "And when we return, you get to cut that luscious cake."

Alex licked her lips. "Oh, I've been waiting all day for that!"

"You have any room after all those meatballs you ate?" Serena asked.

Alex gave her a knowing smile. "Plenty."

Olivia placed a hand below Alex's hips and swooped her up in her arms. Alex giggled and wrapped her arms around Olivia's neck. Olivia grinned and said, "I just thought I'd carry the princess back to her throne."

Elliot smiled. "Aw, look at Liv. She's Alex's knightress in shining armor."

Olivia winked at him. "Hey, I try."


	44. Azhdahā yāra

**Chapter 44: Azhdahā-yāra**

"How do I look?" Alex asked, hesitantly coming out of the bathroom. Her iridescent peach-colored silk taffeta gown had a bodice with a sweetheart neckline and ruched pickup skirt that swept the floor. Pearl appliqués highlighted the skirt at each gathering. The bodice featured a hand-painted dragon motif surrounded by Persian flowers. The dragon and flowers were adorned in an array of rhinestone details. Colorful Swarovski crystals made up the scales of the dragon.

Olivia stood there in awe. After a few seconds, she found her voice again and responded, "Amazing. Simply amazing."

"Will you tie me up in back?" Alex asked.

"You don't even have to ask," Olivia responded, walking over and tying up the corset back to the gown. "Wow. I definitely have the best looking date in the hotel," she said, looking her up and down again.

Alex blushed and grinned. "You really mean that?"

"Of course I do, sweetie. Let me show you how much," she continued, leaning in and placing sweet kisses down her jawline and neck.

Alex closed her eyes and moaned, "Liv, I just put the dress on to have to take it off so soon."

Olivia laughed. "Who said anything about it coming off?"

Alex smiled. "If you keep kissing me like that, it'll absolutely have to come off."

"Maybe if we had a little more time, I wouldn't be opposed to that."

"I just wanna rub up against you," Alex told her. She ran her hands over Olivia's bare breasts. "And I wanna do a lot of other things, too."

Olivia brought Alex in closer to her. "Careful now. A little bit of friction can lead to addiction."

"I'm already addicted to you," Alex whispered in her ear. Olivia shivered lightly against her as Alex ran her fingers down her spine.

"Sweetie, are you trying to make me stain my panties?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"Am I turning you on?"

"Been there, done that," Olivia muttered as Alex rubbed her nipples. She picked her up and started placing kisses along her collarbone.

"Oh gosh, I love it when you pick me up topless." Alex bit her lip. "And when you nibble and kiss me there."

"Mmm," Olivia moaned, starting to move them over to the bed.

Suddenly, Alex caught her reflection in the mirror. Frowning, she asked, "Does this dress make my ass look big?"

Olivia's eyes flew open. "Way to ruin the moment, Al," she muttered, putting her back down on the floor.

"Well does it?"

"No, baby. You ask me that every time, and I always tell you the same thing. Your curves are perfect. You have the hottest ass I've ever seen."

Alex grinned. "I love it when you flatter me."

Olivia picked up the pear-shaped diamond necklace and placed it around Alex's neck. "Well, I speak the truth."

Alex grabbed her hand and said, "Let's just stay up here and start our um…_afterparty_ early." She looked down at her bare breasts again. "I'd say you are appropriately dressed for the occasion."

Olivia teasingly covered her breasts with an arm. "I think you lose all reason when you stare at my tits, so now you aren't allowed to look at them anymore."

Alex tickled her under her armpit to make her drop her arm. "Hey, that's not fair! I am the birthday girl after all." She pushed Olivia down on the bed and straddled her waist. Pinning her wrists above her head with one hand, she bent down and brushed her lips across her ear.

Olivia closed her eyes and squirmed underneath her. "Alex, w-we can't….shouldn't…"

Alex looked up. "We can and we should."

"Al-Alex…"

"How about letting me go for a ride, cowgirl?" Alex whispered as she shifted her weight so that she was directly rubbing up against Olivia's clit. She twisted a rock-hard nipple between her fingers before taking it into her mouth and sucking hard.

_Oh shit, I better stop this now before I lose the last little bit of resolve I have,_Olivia thought. She forced her eyes open and regretfully pushed Alex back. "Come on, sweetie. I need to get breast—I mean, dressed!"

Laughing, Alex got off her waist. "I think I like this look better than your dress. You've never looked hotter!"

Olivia chuckled. "I'll take your word for it, but I don't think your mom and dad would approve of my little wardrobe malfunction."

"Who cares what they think? You know…it really worked out well making the gang get dressed elsewhere. Please, Liv? Let's just take advantage of the little private time we have now," she coaxed, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Olivia tried to give her a serious look. "Alex, I'm serious. We cannot have sex right now."

Alex grinned and got off the bed. She uncorked a bottle of champagne. Filling a glass and dropping a strawberry into it, she took a sip and said, "I still beg to differ."

Olivia watched as Alex slowly and sensually licked around the rim of the glass. When Alex held out the glass to offer her some, she shook her head and said, "Save some for later, baby. Alex, I don't want you getting drunk."

"Can't I be a little tipsy?"

"You can be as tipsy as you want _after _the party is over. If anything happens to you, you know your parents will blame me."

"It's my party and I'll drink if I want to," Alex sang softly, twirling around. She grabbed Olivia by the hand and said, "Let's go to the bathroom."

Rolling her eyes, she reluctantly let Alex drag her into the bathroom. Alex began frantically trying to get Olivia's panties down. "Come on, Liv. Let me pour a little champagne on your—"

"Alex!" Olivia exclaimed, taking the glass from her.

"Don't you want me to lick it off?" Alex asked sultrily.

"You can lick as much champagne off as you want—_later_."

"Liv, I'm just so horny right now. Can't we go for a quickie?" Alex begged.

"Sweetie, we need to get back downstairs and we can't until I'm dressed. I promise you I will make it well worth your wait later on."

"But you're going to be so tired by the time the party is over," Alex pouted.

Olivia cocked her head to the side. "Me, tired? Haha, this is Olivia Benson you're talking about! Stamina is my middle name!"

"Kiss me," Alex ordered.

Olivia gave her a quick peck on the lips. Alex gasped. "Liv, why the little kiss? My mom kisses me harder than that!"

"If I kiss you hard, it will just make you hornier."

"And that's a bad thing because…"

"Alex…"

"Come on, Liv…kiss me like you did this morning," she begged, dipping her hand into the front of her panties and tugging the fine hairs.

Olivia bit her lip. "No…baby, not that."

"Well, how about this?" Alex asked, sliding her hands around to the back to squeeze her bare ass.

Olivia tried stifling a moan. "Alex, seriously…quit it."

She took the glass back and took another sip. "Oh, I'm quite serious. Just let me have a little taste…" She began to move down her body. "Just one lick and I promise I'll leave you alone."

Olivia was just about to give in when suddenly there was banging against the door. "Thank god!" Olivia said, pushing Alex back and running across the bathroom.

Alex grinned deviously. "You can run but you can't hide…" she teased, starting to make her way over to Olivia.

"Go get the door!" Olivia demanded.

The banging got louder. Alex groaned. "Hold your horses! We're coming!" she yelled.

"Oh, I'm sure you are," Casey muttered sarcastically, eliciting snickers all around.

"Liv's not ready yet!" Alex continued. "So you guys will have to wait in the sitting room until she gets dressed!"

"She's not even dressed yet, Alex? Geez, what have you two been doing?" Elliot asked.

Serena turned to him. "Do you really have to ask?"

"We just got a little caught up!" Alex yelled, pushing Olivia into the bedroom and closing the French doors. She then ran to the suite door to let in their friends.

"Wow, Alex, you look amazing!" Serena exclaimed.

"Hear, hear!" Elliot agreed.

"You know, Liv, Alex looks so hot right now!" Casey shouted from the sitting room. "Maybe if I wasn't with Serena…"

"Hey!" Serena protested, playfully shoving her girlfriend.

"Don't even try it!" Olivia shouted back.

Alex gave Elliot the remote and said, "Here. You guys watch some tv or something while I help Liv get ready."

"I'd be ready if you hadn't tried to seduce me!" Olivia yelled.

Alex blushed lightly in front of their friends. "I have no idea what she's talking about."

"Sureeeeeeeee," Serena said. She walked up to Alex to get a closer look at the dress. She traced her fingers along the Persian calligraphy near the bottom of the dragon. "What do these symbols say?"

"Azhdahā-yāra. Azhdahā means 'dragon' and yāra means 'strength,' so the terms together mean 'of the strength of a dragon.' And the flowers around her illustrate delicacy and passion."

"Deep. That definitely fits your nature," Serena replied.

"Only Alex Cabot would incorporate symbolism into a dress," Casey said with a laugh.

Laughing, Alex held a finger up and said to the rest of them, "Give me just a sec, guys." She entered the bedroom and closed the doors again. "Ok, sweetie. How fast can you slip into that dress?"

Rolling her eyes, Olivia stepped into the dress and pulled the beaded halter over her head. The teal silk satin gown was slim and sexy with a high slit on the left leg. The crystal-trimmed plunging V neckline dipped all the way to her belly button. The gown also had cut-outs on the sides with rhinestone strands that wrapped around her back. "I would've been dressed ages ago if you hadn't insisted on dragging me into the bathroom and proceeding to fuck me with champagne!"

"Shh!" Alex ordered, putting a finger to her lips. "They're right outside!"

"Just be lucky your_mom_ isn't right outside," Olivia said, adjusting the material over her breasts. "I feel so…naked."

"You look stunning, babe," Alex breathed, walking around her to get a view from the back. Her olive skin was a nice contrast to the rhinestones.

"Thanks," Olivia said modestly.

"No, I'm serious," Alex said, taking her hand and dragging her over to the mirror. She stood behind her and ran her hands over her shoulders. "You always play down your looks, but you really are gorgeous. You're gonna wow everyone."

"Alex, you're the princess here. Not me."

"Come on, Liv. You have incredible bone structure, incredible curves…incredible everything. Your look is sexy, fresh, exotic, alluring—"

Olivia couldn't help but grin at all Alex's compliments. She loved it when Alex praised her, even though she tried to act as if she didn't care about superficial things like looks. But nonetheless, she couldn't resist making a wisecrack. "Alex, this isn't America's Next Top Model."

"I'm serious, Liv. This is a couture gown and trust me, you make the dress, not the other way around." She gave her a quick kiss on the neck.

Olivia's grin widened. "You're making me blush." She looked down at her breasts. "You don't think my boobs will fall out, do you?"

"Nah, it was custom made to fit snug." She put a finger on her chin to ponder things for a second. "But how about you wear the nipple guards just to be safe?"

Olivia shook her head. "No! No, no, no!"

Alex laughed and put her tiara on. "I was just kidding. Besides, I didn't even bring any!"

Olivia adjusted the tiara in Alex's hair so that it was straight. "Hey, don't joke about stuff like that. You know how much the pokies loathe those things."

"I have a little surprise for you," Alex said, going over to her suitcase. "I know if I'd suggested getting you something when we were in Cartier, you would've protested. Anyway, I thought Tiffany's was more your style…so I went there on my own one day and got this for you!" She handed her a blue-green box and waited expectantly.

Olivia untied the white bow and took the lid off the box. Her heart dropped into her stomach. The diamonds of the platinum open circle pendant sparkled brightly. Alex placed the necklace around her neck and fastened the clasp.

"Alex, how much did this necklace cost?" she demanded, turning around to face her.

Alex smiled. "Not telling. But I knew it would look great with this gown. See how it rests nicely between your breasts?"

Olivia ignored her. "Alex…I'm serious! How much did this cost?"

"It's impolite to ask the gift horse how much she paid," Alex said. She studied her eyes. "You do like it, right?"

Olivia looked down at the necklace, which felt cool against her warm skin. "That's not the point."

Alex lifted her chin and forced her to meet her eyes. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"No, sweetie. Don't get me wrong—I really do appreciate this. It's gorgeous. But you know how uncomfortable it makes me when you insist on spending money on me. It makes me feel like I'm indebted to you in some way."

Alex stroked her cheek and replied, "Don't ever feel that way. I just saw something that I thought screamed, 'Olivia!' and I had to get it. Besides, it perfectly matches the earrings."

Olivia sighed. "Ok." She picked up her heels and put them on.

"Now all we need to do is touch up your lips…" Alex said, pulling out a M.A.C lipglass and brushing it on. She screwed the cap back on and turned Olivia to face the mirror. "So beautiful."

Olivia looked at her reflection. She brought her fingers up to carefully stroke the diamonds. It was as if she was almost afraid that if she stroked too hard, the necklace would fall apart. "I…I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Come on. Let's go out there and wow our friends."

Alex opened the doors and held out an arm to the crowd. "I now present to you the striking Olivia Benson! Turn around and model for them, baby!"

Smiling, Olivia did a 360 degree turn. Elliot's eyes almost popped out of his head. "Hot _damn_, Liv!"

"Wow, Liv! High fashion has never looked so good!" Kathy said.

"It's so revealing!" Casey said. "I love it! And I totally love that necklace, too!"

"Yeah, right! Like you were looking at the necklace!" Serena teased. "But in all seriousness, the necklace is beautiful. It's even shaped like an 'O' for your name!"

Olivia blushed profusely. "I'm glad flattery doesn't add any pounds," she joked.

Alex put an arm around her shoulders. "Yep. I have the most amazing girlfriend in the world—and the sexiest."

"Now Alex is going to be even hornier than ever!" Serena announced, trying to divert her eyes from Olivia's chest.

Casey noticed. "Alex or you?" she asked pointedly, a tad bit jealous.

Serena gave her a look. "Come on, Casey."

"Well, if you're all finished undressing my girlfriend with your eyes, I think we should head downstairs," she said with a smile. Holding Olivia's hand, she waited for their friends to walk out and then playfully started to shut the door behind them.

Casey caught the door with her arm. "Don't even think about sexin' Liv up now, Alex!"

Olivia shook her head. "Ah, Cabot. Always the sneaky one."

Alex smiled and followed Olivia out. "Ah well, it was worth a shot."

* * *

"That's like the 1000th compliment you've gotten since we returned," Elliot said with a grin to Olivia.

"Aw, thanks, El."

"Can you convince Kathy to wear something like that?" he teased.

"Hey, I heard that, mister!" Kathy said, slapping his arm. "Don't worry—prom is still coming up."

"Oh man," Elliot said, gulping hard.

Olivia laughed. "Don't get his hopes up, Kath." She looked around the room and tried to spot Alex. She finally spotted her talking to her parents across the room.

Five minutes later, Alex ran up on the stage. "Hey, I'd like everyone to clear the center of the room, please and make room for the caterers to get through!" she ordered.

People started clearing a path. Olivia turned to Elliot and said, "She's sexy when she's bossy."

Elliot chuckled. "Are we gonna have to put you in a cold shower?"

Olivia smirked. "Nah. I'm all right—for now."

"Ok! Who's ready for some cake?" Alex yelled into the microphone as the caterers moved the cake table to the center of the room. The cake table was decorated with ivory tulle with gold satin trim, rose petals, and candles.

Cheers and clapping erupted from the crowd. People started chanting her name. Once the noise had died down some, she continued, "I want everyone to get in line in front of the cake and wait to be served. I'll cut the first piece."

She ran back down the steps, grabbed Olivia's hand, and dragged her over to the cake. A spotlight was focused on her. "Alex, I don't wanna steal your glory," Olivia whispered.

"Don't be silly. We're feeding each other cake, remember?" Alex said. She took the knife from Susie and asked, "Where should I start cutting?"

"Either side is fine," Susie replied.

"Ok," Alex said. Her father began singing "Happy Birthday" and everyone else joined in. After the singing concluded, she cut into the cake.

"It's so pretty inside!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Isn't it, though?" Alex agreed. After putting her own slice on a plate, she then cut a slice for Olivia, followed by slices for her parents, Serena, Casey, Kathy, and Elliot. She returned the knife to Susie so that she and the catering staff could begin serving slices to the crowd.

Olivia dug her fork into her piece and held it out to Alex. Alex smiled and did the same, then they simultaneously put the forks in each other's mouths. People waiting in line clapped loudly. John thought it was a little odd that the girls fed each other cake, but he brushed it off.

"That was fun!" Olivia said, wiping some icing from the side of Alex's mouth.

"Oh, I know, right? And this cake is the best I've ever had!" Alex replied.

"You're tellin' me!" Olivia agreed. "Come on, let's get outta everyone's way."

They all went back up on the dais and sat down around Alex. "Alex, exactly how tall is your cake?" Elliot asked.

"Five feet. And hey, be careful that you don't swallow any jewels!"

Deciding to have some fun, Olivia threw her hand to her throat and pretended she was choking. Alex immediately jumped up and began to panic. "Liv, are you all right?" She wrapped her arms around her and prepared to do the Heimlich.

Olivia doubled over in laughter. "Gotcha!"

"Shit, Liv! You scared us all!" Elliot said in annoyance.

Alex turned red. She was so angry with Olivia that she didn't know what to do. "Liv, don't you ever do something that stupid to scare me like that again!"

Olivia's laughing immediately halted when she saw how upset Alex was with her. "Gee, baby, I was just playing."

"I should kick your ass!" Alex said, moving away from her on the chaise longue.

Olivia scooted closer to her. "Come on, sweetie. Don't be like that." Alex continued to ignore her. Olivia rubbed her back. "Alikins…"

Alex suddenly turned to face her. "Why the hell do you do shit like that?"

"It was a joke!" Olivia shouted.

"Well, I didn't get the fucking punch line!" Alex snapped.

Luckily, the slideshow of Alex began on the HDTV mounted on the wall. Everyone turned to watch. There were pictures of her from birth up to the photo shoot she'd taken the previous month.

"Are those the pics you took for your party?" Kathy asked.

"Yeah," Alex replied.

"You look like a model!" Kathy continued.

Alex grinned. "Thanks."

"She's gorgeous in them, I agree, Kath, but the childhood shots hold a special place in my heart," Olivia said, turning to Alex and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Especially the Girl Scout and kiddie cheerleading pics."

With Olivia's warm lips against her skin, Alex felt her anger dissipate. She turned to her with a half smile and said, "You're lucky I love you."

"So does that mean I'm forgiven?" Olivia asked, giving her another kiss.

Once again, Alex felt herself melting. "I suppose."

As more pictures were shown, Alex threw her hands over her face. "Some of these are so embarrassing! I really wish Mom had let me see all of them beforehand!"

"I love them all," Olivia said, squeezing her hand. "Aww, it's your first debate tournament!" she exclaimed as another picture appeared.

"Did you win?" Elliot asked.

Alex smiled. "Of course."

"Ah, middle school. Good times," Serena said.

Once the slideshow was over, Olivia got up and said, "I have to use the bathroom. I'll be back."

Alex smiled at the rest of them and followed Olivia. When they entered the bathroom, she proposed with a mischievous grin, "How about a little playtime?"

Olivia laughed. "You're relentless, aren't you?"

"Just a tad," Alex said, running a hand down between her breasts.

"What if someone walks in?"

"Then they'll just get a free show," Alex said, pulling Olivia to her.

A few minutes later, Madeline walked into the bathroom and stopped dead in her tracks. The girls were moaning into the kiss and Alex's hand was caressing one of Olivia's breasts under the material of the gown. "Alexandra, you stop that right now!" she yelled, startling them out of their kiss.

Alex and Olivia quickly jumped back from one another. "Uh…we're sorry, Madeline," Olivia said nervously.

"Sorry doesn't cut it," Madeline shot back. "After this rather risqué debacle, I'm rethinking letting you two share a room together."

"Mom, please don't!" Alex begged.

"I can't trust you," Madeline scolded. "First I catch you sitting on her lap and then I catch you touching her inappropriately and French kissing like you're the only ones in this hotel!"

"Mom, you said you would support us! We _do _kiss—just like any other couple!" Alex protested, flushing red.

Her mother frowned. "I did not give you my support for you to behave like two dogs in heat in public places! Anyone can walk into this bathroom! I will not tolerate boldness or reckless abandon from the two of you."

"But Mom—" Alex began.

"And don't think I am not uncomfortable with the idea of you two being intimate. But I know that if I tell you not to, you'll just do it behind my back. So the least you could do to respect me is to keep it private."

"We promise it won't happen again, Madeline," Olivia assured her.

Madeline narrowed her eyes at her. "It better not. From now on, I mean it. Keep affection between the two of you behind closed _and locked_ doors," she ordered, turning on her heel and walking out.

"Alex, I told you we should be careful," Olivia said, shaking her head and trying to calm her nerves.

"Well your tongue down my throat told quite a different story!" Alex retorted.

Olivia shrugged. "So I got a little carried away. Damn, you're testy when you're horny."

Alex blushed a deeper shade of red. "I can't help it! But she shouldn't have gotten all upset at us."

Olivia sighed. "Let's just make sure we do what she says from now on. I can't afford to get on her bad side."

"Ok, Liv."

"I'll be back in a sec," Olivia said, going into a bathroom stall. When she finished, she washed her hands and playfully flicked her fingers at Alex.

"Liv! You're getting water on me!"

Olivia ran to the door. "Last one to the ballroom has to spend the night with your mom!"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Don't even joke about that."


	45. The Fast and the Furious

**Chapter 45: The Fast and the Furious**

A half hour later, Olivia took Alex's hand and said, "How about a dance?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Alex replied, letting Olivia lead her down to the dance floor.

Madeline noticed the two of them dancing. _Those two are inseparable, _she thought. She watched them for a couple more minutes before deciding to go over to them.

"Alex, dear, you really should be more social," her mother whispered. "You've been with Olivia the majority of the night."

Alex reluctantly pulled back from Olivia. "Mom, you're exaggerating! I've worked the crowd…somewhat," she said, looking down. Olivia tried not to snicker.

"It will look suspicious if you refuse to leave each other's side," she whispered in a harsher tone. "Remember the little talk we had in the bathroom?"

Alex sighed. "Mom, just let us dance one more song together, ok? I'll dance with others afterwards. Please? My 16th birthday only comes once."

Her mother sighed and against her better judgment replied, "Fine. One more and then you two need to branch out."

"Ok," Alex said.

They began dancing one more song together until they were interrupted by Rebecca Hendrix. "Mind if I cut in, Liv?"

Olivia's jaw immediately clenched. Deciding to forgo a rude comment, she finally said, "You'll have to ask Alex."

Alex looked from Rebecca to Olivia. "Uh…well, I guess one dance won't hurt," she decided. "Besides, Mom did say that we should dance with other people."

Olivia tried to keep her blood from boiling. "She's all yours," she said, letting go of Alex's hands.

Alex looked at Olivia apologetically. "I'll just be a few minutes."

Olivia nodded and walked over to Elliot and Kathy. "I can't believe that bitch would have the nerve to come up and break us up like that."

"Liv, I'm sure a lot of people wanna dance with Alex tonight. You can't keep her all to yourself. This is her big night," Elliot told her.

"I don't need you to keep reminding me of that!" Olivia snapped. "If it was anyone else, it would be different. But Rebecca has been trying to get into her pants ever since Alex and I broke up the first time. Between Rebecca and Abbie, I'm gonna go fucking crazy!"

"Chill out, Liv. You know Alex is completely devoted to you," Elliot responded.

"Don't give Rebecca the satisfaction of getting to you," Kathy told her. "Alex is just being nice."

"Besides, the song will be over in just a few minutes," Elliot said.

Olivia watched them as they danced, getting angrier by the minute as Rebecca held Alex close and ran her hands up and down her back. Near the end of the song, she saw Rebecca slap Alex's ass. _I can't take anymore of this_, she thought. "You see what I mean, Elliot?" she yelled. "I'm going over there."

"Liv…" Elliot warned, but to no avail.

Olivia marched over and loudly cleared her throat. "Rebecca, do you mind keeping your hands off my girl?"

_Oh shit, _Alex thought. "Liv…"

Rebecca looked at Olivia in shock. "Don't get your panties in a twist. We were just playing around."

"_We_?" Olivia snarled. "Alex didn't seem to share your sentiments. And you have some nerve touching Alex like that after the stunt you pulled at Jake's party."

"Let's not argue, guys," Alex begged.

Olivia turned to Alex. "Can I speak to you alone?"

"Sure," Alex said, dreading the conversation. "I'll be back," she told Rebecca.

"Oh, you will?" Olivia demanded once they were out of earshot. "After she put her fucking hands all over you? Why were you letting her feel you up like that anyway? Are you trying to make me jealous or something?"

"Liv, we were just dancing! What? Is she not supposed to touch me at all?"

"Alex, how would you feel if someone started dancing with me and rubbing all over my back and ass?"

"Liv, it was not that serious!"

"Not that serious? A girl slaps your ass and it's not that serious? Can I have some of that weed you're smoking?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Oh, shutup, Liv!"

"You know she has an interest in you!"

"Liv, that was months ago! Stop making such a big deal out of everything!"

"I told you not to invite her."

"Liv, you have absolutely _no right_ to try to tell me who I can and cannot invite to _my _fucking party!"

"Alex, it makes me angry to see her touching you all over."

"Then don't watch!" Alex yelled, storming back over to Rebecca.

Olivia stood there dumbfounded. She couldn't believe Alex was acting that way toward her and it only made her angrier. _Fuck her_, she thought. She went to pour herself some punch and then rejoined Elliot and Kathy.

"Liv…it makes no sense to be this angry," Elliot told her.

Olivia ignored him. She tried to tear her eyes away from Rebecca and Alex but couldn't. Serena came up to them; she was sweaty from dancing. "Why aren't you out there dancing with Alex?" she asked breathlessly.

Olivia glared at her. Elliot turned to Serena and said shaking his head, "Don't."

Serena followed Olivia's gaze. "Oh…"

Casey walked up to their little group and handed Serena a glass of punch. She noticed Olivia's sinister gaze. "What's up with you, Liv?"

"Take a guess," Serena muttered, nodding her head in the direction of Alex and Rebecca.

Reveling in Olivia's apparent anger, Rebecca shot her a smug look when Alex put a hand at the back of her neck. As if that wasn't enough, she leaned in and ran her tongue up the side of Alex's neck. People around them started letting out wolf whistles. Alex immediately pulled back. She shot Olivia a panicked glance and then looked back at Rebecca angrily. "Why'd you do that?"

Rebecca grinned and shrugged. "Let's just say it was my version of a body shot."

Olivia made it over to them in what seemed like two seconds flat. "I'm going to punch your fucking lights out, bitch," she told Rebecca, drawing her arm back.

Alex grabbed Olivia's arm right before her fist connected with Rebecca's nose. "Liv, don't! If my mom sees you, you're done!"

Olivia snatched her arm away and got right in Alex's face. "Fuck you, Alex!" She stormed out of the ballroom and headed for the bathroom.

Alex quickly ran after her. "Liv!" she called out.

Olivia kept going. "Liv, wait!" Alex repeated.

Their group of friends watched the scene from afar. "This looks like it could get nasty. Serena and Casey, I think you both need to go referee," Elliot said.

"Let's give them a couple minutes and then if no one's back, we'll go," Casey said.

Olivia flung open the bathroom door and stood fuming in front of the mirror. Her whole body trembled all over with rage. She gripped the counter so hard that her knuckles turned white.

Alex grabbed her shoulder. "Liv, please."

Olivia yanked her shoulder away. "Get your hands off me."

Alex was on the brink of tears. "Why are you acting this way toward me? I didn't do anything wrong."

Olivia swung her head around to her. "Gee, Alex, I don't know. Maybe it's because you let Rebecca lick your motherfucking neck on the dance floor!"

"Liv, I'm sorry! I swear I had no clue she was gonna do that!"

"Yeah, that's what you're gonna say when Abbie does that, too! Although with Abbie, I'm sure you're gonna let her lick somewhere else!"

"That's so fucking unfair, Liv! You know I'd never cheat on you—especially not with someone like her!"

"No, you'd rather just allow _my_ exes to lick and touch you like they're your girlfriend instead of me!"

"So if someone should grab and kiss me, you'd think it was my fault?" Alex asked painfully.

"I dunno, Al. I might if you put yourself in that situation in the first place, which you did with Rebecca! I told you I didn't like that she was rubbing her hands all over you, and you _continued _to dance with her just to piss me off!"

Alex grabbed Olivia's shoulders. "Liv, please! Let's not argue. _Please_."

Olivia stared at her for a few seconds before deciding, "Fine, Alex. Let's just drop it." She inhaled and exhaled several times. "Listen, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be spoiling your birthday. But I just got so upset at Rebecca and I was wrong to take it out on you."

"I know. But I swear to you, if I'd known she'd try anything slick, I never would've gone back."

"I just let my jealousy and anger get the best of me. Come here," she said softly, pulling Alex to her and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Alex brushed away a tear. "It just really hurts when you yell at me. And it scares me to see you fly into rages. You know that," she murmured.

"I'm sorry," Olivia repeated, gently rubbing her back. "You know I'd never hurt you, though, right?"

"I know," Alex said quietly, pulling back and folding her arms around herself. "I'm not worried about you hurting me since we're in a relationship. But you were going to hurt Rebecca, an _ex_ of yours. If you can fight her, then it makes me nervous. That means that if we ever had a nasty breakup and you got angry with me at some point in time, you wouldn't hesitate to fight me, too."

Olivia gave her a shocked look. "Sweetie, I've told you time and time again that I'd never lay a hand on you, no matter what happens. You're different from everyone else. You're the only one I've ever been in love with."

"What if you fall out of love with me?"

Olivia pulled her arms apart and picked up her hands. "Baby, I don't see that ever happening. Honestly. But if by some unexplainable occurrence in the atmosphere I do fall out of love, you have my word that I will never ever even _think_ about harming one hair on your beautiful body."

Alex nodded. "Hold me."

Casey and Serena giggled outside. "Hey, let's act like we think they're fighting and just go in," Casey whispered to Serena.

"Good idea."

"All right girls, break it up!" Casey said, barging into the bathroom.

Groaning, the girls broke apart from each other. "We're fine," Olivia said.

"I'm surprised they're still dressed," Serena said, nudging Casey with her elbow.

"Of course we're still dressed. Alex's mom came in here and bitched us out earlier when she caught us kissing," Olivia said.

"Shit! When did this happen?" Serena wanted to know.

"About 45 minutes ago," Alex said. "So we have to lay low from now on."

At that moment, Mandi came into the bathroom. "Hey, Elliot and Kathy told us we could find you here," she said to Alex. "There are some people trying to crash your party."

Alex's heart started to pound in her chest. "Who are they?"

"I don't know yet," Mandi said, trying to catch her breath. "But I heard they were outside starting shit."

Olivia put her arm protectively around Alex. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go investigate."

The group of them joined many others who had gathered outside. The security guards were trying to convince people to go back inside. "We have everything under control!" the head security guard shouted over the crowd.

"It sure as hell doesn't look like it!" Alex yelled as she watched the catastrophe unfold in front of her. She ducked just in time to miss a water balloon as it sailed over her head.

Covered in war paint, Dustin and Jeremy ran shrieking through the fountain in their underwear along with two other boys. "Those stupid fucking assholes!" Olivia yelled. She turned to Alex, whose lower lip was trembling. "Sweetie, don't cry. I won't let them ruin your party."

"Liv, I can't believe they'd do that!" Alex said, sobbing into Olivia's shoulder.

Olivia smoothed a hand over her hair. "Don't worry. I'll make them pay," she swore.

"Alex, everything will be under control," Rabia told her, patting her on the back. "Security's already called the cops and detained the kids who were trying to sneak in through the back. The cops'll be here in two seconds, I promise."

"How many people are there?" Alex asked, reluctantly lifting her head off Olivia's shoulder.

"We don't know yet, but we will get them all," Rabia promised.

"Oh my god, one of them just pissed in my fucking fountain!" Alex cried in horror. "Get them out now!" she yelled at the security guards.

"Oh, I am going to_kill_ them!" Olivia muttered, shaking all over in rage that anyone would dare crash Alex's birthday party. She began to move forward when one of the guards grabbed her arm.

"Young lady, we are equipped to take care of this situation. We don't need any help. Just stay back," he warned.

"Well, you sure as hell aren't doing anything! Why haven't you yanked those assholes out of the fountain? Alex's father paid you to do your job and it seems you're too worried about getting wet! If you can't handle them, I will!" Olivia yelled, starting to go toward the fountain again.

This time, Madeline held her back. "Olivia, please. Let them do their jobs," she begged. Nonetheless, she was secretly pleased at Olivia's steadfast determination to protect her daughter at all costs. She turned to the security guard in front of her. "Apprehend those boys now."

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

However, despite the demands of the guards to stop, the boys in the fountain continued throwing water balloons at the front of the Ritz-Carlton. A couple hit Alex's custom banner and a few more hit a few kids who had gathered outside to see what the ruckus was about.

"You want some, too?" Adam taunted, holding a balloon up at one of the guards.

"Yeah!" Luke pitched in.

"Don't do it!" the guard ordered, drawing his weapon. "I'm warning you!" But Adam ignored him, and he and his friends let the balloons they were holding go.

Two security guards fired plastic bullets at Dustin, Jeremy, Luke, and Adam. The boys fell down, writhing in pain.

"I'm suing you!" Dustin threatened, holding his ribcage as the guards forced him and the others to get up. They stumbled out the fountain and the guards marched them over to the side of the building.

"You're lucky we only carry plastic bullets," one of the guards growled. "If the cops had shot you, you wouldn't have been as lucky."

Nancy suddenly ran up to Madeline and Alex. She told them that two boys had broken into the horse trailer and were trying to escape with Thunder.

"I'm not waiting for the cops!" Olivia yelled, running off around the back. She ignored various shouts for her to come back.

"Damn, Liv runs like a cop!" Fin said.

Elliot turned to Kathy. "I'm not letting her go back there alone!" he said, running off after her.

"Elliot, wait!" Kathy shouted. She, Alex, Casey, Serena, Fin, Monique, and Mandi rushed off behind him. It wasn't long before several more people decided to join them as well.

* * *

Alex's father ran outside just as the police arrived. Madeline went to her husband's side. "I want all of these young men taken into custody!" John told them, pointing to the boys the security guards had already detained. 

"Yes, sir, Mr. Cabot," Officer Deaton assured him. He and the other officers read the boys their Miranda rights and then started loading them up in the back of the squad cars.

* * *

Olivia chased down the boys and tackled one of them to the ground. She threw her arm across his neck and pinned her knee against his back. 

"Ow, bitch! You're hurting me!" Jason yelled.

"So what?" Olivia said, adding more pressure against his neck.

"Get off him!" Brandon demanded, reaching out to grab her. Olivia threw back her leg and her heel landed squarely in his crotch. Brandon immediately dropped to the ground in pain, screaming and holding his crotch. "You stupid fucking cunt!"

Thunder began to run off but Alex grabbed his lead rope and stroked his mane to soothe him. She turned back to Olivia. "Sweetie, be careful!"

"Don't worry, babe. This scumbag doesn't stand a chance."

Elliot ran over and grabbed Brandon while Olivia returned her attention to Jason. "Unless you want the same, I suggest you calm the fuck down," she warned.

"You won't get away with this!" Jason yelled.

"Me? You're one to talk! Trying to crash Alex's party!"

"Sticking up for your bitch of a girlfriend, huh? That stuck-up bitch needs a good strong slap in the mouth to teach her a lesson!" Jason snarled.

Olivia slapped him in the back of the head. "Shutup!"

He struggled against her and she grabbed a handful of hair and forced his face hard to the ground. "Stop it. You're not going anywhere."

"I'll teach you, you fucking dyke!"

Olivia slammed his face against the ground again—harder this time. Bright red blood started gushing onto the concrete. "This is one dyke you'll regret you ever met."

"Shit, you broke my nose! You'll pay for this! How do you think Alex's rich parents are gonna respond when they find out she's a big ole carpet muncher? They won't think you're much of a hero then, will they?"

"Make another threat like that and I'll do more than bust your nose!" Olivia growled, grinding her knee sharply into his spine.

"Ow! Ow! Help! She's killing me!" Jason screamed.

Elliot looked over at him. "How does it feel to get your ass kicked by a girl?" he asked Jason while continuing to hold Brandon's hands behind his back until the cops finally made their way there and cuffed him. John and Madeline were right behind them.

The cops took Jason off Olivia's hands and cuffed him as well. "Nice work, young lady," one of them said, nodding at Olivia. "With skills like this, you'll be a shoo-in for the Academy in a few years."

"Thanks," Olivia said, letting Elliot help her up.

"Very impressive, Olivia," John said, patting her on the back. "Maybe I should have hired you instead of the security guards."

"Liv, see? You're totally meant to be a cop!" Alex said, smiling proudly and giving her a large kiss on the cheek. "So can I have your autograph, super cop?"

"Ditto!" Serena exclaimed.

Olivia smiled. "Got a pen?"

"And she did it without even tearing the dress," Elliot said with a grin.

"And in heels!" Casey said, equally impressed.

"And without her boobies falling out," Alex added.

Olivia laughed. "I told you you had nothing to worry about."

"Now that's some fucking talent," Fin said.

"If I ever have problems with anyone, I'll just sick Liv on 'em," Mandi said.

"Girl, you said it!" Monique agreed. "Sure as hell would save me the trouble."

Olivia was beaming at all the compliments thrown her way. "Thanks, guys."

"Thank _you_," Nancy said. "If you ever want to stop by the stables, you can ride any horse you want—free of charge."

Olivia smiled. "I'd like that—but I think Alex here needs to give me a couple more lessons so I don't make a fool of myself."

Alex noticed that Olivia had scraped her elbow and forearm. "Sweetie…you're bleeding!" she said in alarm.

Olivia gave a lopsided grin. "That's nothing compared to Jason."

"Boy, am I glad I'm not that young man!" John joked.

"I agree," Madeline said, smiling at her.

"I'm glad I'm not Brandon either. A heel to the family jewels does not sound like my cup of tea," Elliot joked.

Olivia smirked. "I bet."

"See, my parents now officially love you," Alex whispered in her ear.

Blushing, Olivia tried brushing the dirt and grime off the dress. "Sorry, Alex," she said, feeling ashamed.

"No, no. It's ok. Don't worry about the dress," Alex assured her.

"No…you spent thousands on this dress for me and now it's ruined."

"It's not ruined, silly! There are just a couple streaks, that's all. And whatever dirt doesn't come out, just consider it a fashion statement," she said with a sheepish smile. "Now let's worry about going back inside and getting that scrape taken care of."

In the bathroom, Alex opened a first aid kit and dabbed at Olivia's cuts and bruises while Serena scrubbed the marks on the dress. "All done!" Serena said, standing up.

Alex smiled. "See? I told you the dirt wasn't a big deal. You looked so sexy kicking their asses."

Olivia grinned. "It was a great adrenaline rush."

"The pokies were awesome little crime fighters tonight," Alex said.

Serena laughed. "Of course her nipples did all the work."

Alex gave a sly grin. "Never underestimate the power of the pokies."

Serena shook her head and turned to Olivia. "I guess I'll have to take her word for it, huh?"

Casey came in. "What's taking you guys so long? Having a threesome or something?"

Serena laughed. "Hardly. And if Olivia tackles Alex like she tackled Jason, I think I'd pass."

Olivia looked at Alex and winked. "She's always liked it a little rough."

Alex scoffed. "Hell, not that rough!" She closed the first aid kit and said to Olivia, "Ok, kiddo. You're good to go."

"And you're the hottest nurse around," Olivia said.

Casey smirked at Serena. "Do I detect a little role playing that will be in order tonight?"

Serena laughed and opened the bathroom door. "You never know with those two."

* * *

Once the clock struck midnight, Alex's father got on stage and took the microphone. "Everyone, may I have your attention, please?" The crowd settled down and faced the dais. "I know the party is winding down but we have one more special gift for the guest of honor." 

Alex looked at Olivia. "What's he talking about? Are you guys all in on this?"

Olivia shook her head. "This is as much of a surprise for me as it is you."

Her father continued, "Although after Olivia's heroic performance tonight, perhaps I should give this final present to her instead."

Everyone laughed and a few more people slapped Olivia on the back. "I love you," Alex whispered in her ear.

Olivia grinned and responded, "Love you, too."

"But getting back to business, I would like everyone to exit the front entrance so you can all share her surprise with her," John finished.

Alex linked her arm through Olivia's and they pushed their way to the front of the crowd. "Stand back!" Olivia yelled, shoving people out of her way.

As soon as they arrived outside into the cool night air, fireworks went off. When Alex saw a brand new silver Mercedes-Benz CLK550 Cabriolet parked on the pavement, she began screaming and jumping up and down. A huge pink bow rested on the hood of the car.

She grabbed Olivia's hand and pulled her down the red carpet as she rushed to the car. "Liv, oh my god! Look at it!"

Olivia stood there with her mouth open. "Wow!" she finally said when her brain recovered.

"She fucking got another car?" Fin asked, turning to Monique. "Damn, Alex's old man must be rollin' in some _mad_ dough. That's a $60,000 car!"

"I'd give anything to be Alex Cabot right now," Monique replied.

"Alex Cabot, have my babies please!" some guy yelled from the crowd behind them. Olivia turned around and glared.

"That is the hottest car I've ever seen!" a girl shouted.

"This car was made for speed!" Alex exclaimed.

Alex's father came up beside her. "Don't even think about it. I won't allow you to be reckless just because you have a convertible. We thought you could use a little something to drive around on the weekends and during the summer. For a princess, you need something a little softer than a Range Rover."

Olivia looked at Alex's glowing face and all the excited people around her. The flash of cameras came from almost every angle. While she was glad that Alex was happy and had parents who loved her so much, she also couldn't help feeling a sharp twinge of jealousy. Two cars for her 16th birthday? Even for Alex Cabot, this all seemed too over the top. _They have more money than they know what to do with, _she thought.

Alex noticed that Olivia seemed to be lost in her thoughts. "Is something wrong, Liv?"

Olivia shook her head quickly. "No. I was just thinking about some stuff."

"Oh," Alex said quietly.

"Go on, Alex! Get behind the wheel so I can get some good pics!" the photographer shouted.

Alex opened the door and jumped in. "This feels so nice!" she exclaimed, leaning back appreciatively and gripping the steering wheel tightly. "It's keyless? This is so cool!" Alex squealed. "And I love the black interior, too."

"Yep. As long as you have your transponder, you can stop or start it by pressing a button," John replied. "Speaking of which, here it is. Don't lose it."

Alex held the transponder excitedly in her hand. "I won't, Daddy!" She patted the passenger seat. "Come on, Liv! Hop in!"

Elliot slapped Olivia on the back. "Go ahead! Man, you're one lucky chick!"

Olivia laughed. "Nah, I think Alex is the lucky one!"

"But you get to be the first one to ride in her car!" he replied.

Olivia jumped over the passenger side door to join Alex. "Smooth, Liv!" Elliot joked. "Real ladylike!" Olivia smirked at him.

"Ready to ride, babe?" Alex asked her.

"Ready when you are," Olivia replied, giving her an encouraging smile.

"I love you, princess," John said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek.

"I love you, too, Daddy!" Alex replied, kissing him back.

"Be safe!" Madeline said.

"We will, Mom!"

"And you'd better not get _one ticket_ in this car," Madeline warned.

Alex gave her mom a look. "I won't." She turned to Olivia. "Isn't this exciting?"

Olivia smiled. "Yeah."

"Let's drive around the block. Go ahead, Liv. Start the car!"

"Nah, it's your car. You should do the honors."

Alex gave her a look. "Come on. Please?"

Olivia gave a soft laugh and replied, "Ok." She pressed the 'start/stop' button on the shift lever and the engine revved up.

"Listen to that engine!" Alex exclaimed. She put the car in reverse and backed away from the curb. Then she honked the horn twice and she and Olivia waved goodbye to the crowd as they pulled off in her new convertible. Several pink and purple balloons were released into the air and there was cheering all around.

"This is seriously the perfect ending to a perfect party!" Alex yelled as the air whipped through her hair. She suddenly remembered the boys who tried to crash the party and said, "Well, almost perfect."

Olivia looked at her. "Don't think about those idiots. This was the best night ever. You're really the luckiest girl in the world."

As Alex stopped at the light, she put her hand on Olivia's knee and responded, "Only because I have you." She noticed that Olivia was somewhat quiet and said, "Liv…you know I mean that. No matter how many material things I have, none of them matter to me more than you."

Olivia smirked. "Not even your two cars?"

"Nope. Even if my dad got me a private jet, it still wouldn't amount to you."

Laughing, Olivia said, "Careful. That will be next on the list." She reached over and stroked her cheek. "I don't want you to think I'm unhappy for you. I'm not. It just takes me a little longer to get used to all the glam and glitz."

Alex put her foot on the gas again and said, "What's mine is yours. And we love each other, so that's all that matters. Right?"

Olivia decided to push her insecurities about Alex's wealth to the back burner. Smiling, she brushed a curl back from Alex's shoulder and affirmed, "Right."


	46. The Brightest Star

**Chapter 46: The Brightest Star**

Forty minutes later, Alex and Olivia strolled into their suite for the night. "Oh, thank god it's all over! I've been hugged so much tonight that I think my body is numb!"

Olivia grinned. "It better not be too numb."

"And I have girls' lipstick all over my face from all the kisses!" She grabbed a tissue and wiped her face.

Olivia went over and helped her. "Well, you were quite the popular chick tonight, so what did you expect?"

Alex laughed. "Well, at least our job tonight is fairly easy. Boy, am I glad we're not part of the cleanup crew!"

"You said it," Olivia muttered. "Man, I wanna get outta this dress."

Alex wrapped her arms around her waist. "Don't take it off yet. I love the way you look in it."

"Well, I didn't intend to keep the dress on all night if you know what I mean," she replied with a waggle of her eyebrows.

Alex placed her hands on Olivia's cheeks. "I like the way you think."

"Well, at least let me get out of these heels," Olivia replied.

"Be my guest," Alex said, taking hers off too and throwing them across the room. She went to the desk and opened up her laptop. "I can't wait until the photographer gets all the pics from the party up on his website. He said he'd email me a batch tomorrow."

Olivia walked over and sat beside her. "I know, right? Then I can have even more pics of you on my computer to get me through those cold, lonely nights," she teased.

Alex smirked. "What's new?" She turned the iSight to face them and said, "It's video timeeeeee."

"I bet it is." Olivia stuck her tongue out at the camera.

Alex slapped her arm. "Liv!"

"Of course, I'd rather be sticking my tongue somewhere else…"

Alex grinned. "I thought I was the horny one tonight?"

"You still are."

"Let's make a video of us making out in our evening gowns."

"Ah, now you're talking," Olivia said, pulling Alex's soft mouth to hers.

A few minutes later, Alex stopped the recording and played back the video. "Nice! Isn't that hot?"

"Yep, and it'll only get hotter," Olivia promised. "Speaking of hot, I brought a ton of things we can play with."

A curious smile played across Alex's lips. "Like what?"

"They will all be revealed in time…but right now, we can play with one fun thing," she said, getting up and pulling something out of one of her bags.

"Is that a hookah?" Alex asked.

Olivia nodded. "Yep. Traditional Egyptian hookah. I bought one especially for us tonight. It's even pink," she said with a wink.

"Have you ever smoked one before?" Alex asked, running her hand over the base. The glass base of the hookah was pink with a gold and blue Egyptian lotus design.

"Yeah. A few times, actually. There's really nothing to it. I'll set it up and show you how."

Alex saw Olivia pull out some boxes of tobacco. "Is that flavored?"

"I got apple and strawberry just for you," Olivia said with a grin. "It's called shisha. That's special tobacco made for hookahs."

"Sounds exotic. How'd you buy it?"

Olivia gave her a look. "My handy-dandy fake, of course."

Alex grinned. "Ooh, sneaky."

Olivia got up and filled the base of the hookah with water and added some ice to it. She then sat down on the floor beside Alex and started setting up the hookah. She proceeded to attach the gasket to the bottom of the metal argile and then connected the argile to the base. "Gotta make sure it's airtight," Olivia explained. She then placed the tray over the top of the argile head.

"It's all so pretty!" Alex exclaimed, running her hand over the argile.

Olivia smiled. "It's fun to teach you new tricks." She attached the hose gasket to the end of the hose and then placed the hose into the opening of the argile.

"The hose matches the colors of the base," Alex observed. "Very stylish."

"Yep. Do me the honors of opening up the shisha," Olivia said.

Alex opened up the package of apple shisha and inhaled deeply. "Mmm…it smells so good!" She ran her fingers over it. "And it's really moist. What's it made of?"

"Tobacco leaves, molasses, and fruit."

"It smells so yummy I could just eat it!"

Olivia smirked. "Well, I wouldn't go there." She broke up the shisha and packed it lightly into the clay bowl. "Can you get me some scissors?"

"Sure," Alex replied, getting up and opening the desk drawer. She grabbed some scissors and gave them to her.

Olivia cut a piece of foil and placed it over the head of the bowl. "Ok. Are there any tacks or pins around here?"

Alex got up again and looked around. "There's a safety pin over here."

"That'll do," Olivia said, taking the pin from her and poking holes into the foil. She secured the bowl to the top of the argile using a gasket and continued, "Now I need to light the coal." She pulled a lighter and tongs out of her bag and they got up and went out on the terrace.

Alex rubbed her hands over her arms. "It's chilly out here."

"Go inside and get your coat," Olivia said, sitting on a chair.

"You want me to get yours, too?" Alex asked.

"Nah, I'm fine. I'm kinda hot anyway." Using the tongs, she held the charcoal over the lighter and waited for it to burn all the way around.

Alex returned outside and sat down across from her. "Did I miss anything?"

Olivia smiled. "Only if lighting some charcoal is a breathtaking event."

"Be careful you don't burn yourself," Alex warned as the charcoal smoked and sparked.

Olivia cocked her head. "Baby, I won't get burned." When she blew on it and it blazed red hot, she placed the charcoal onto the foil.

"Now what?" Alex asked.

"We smoke," Olivia answered. She picked up the hose. "Ok, put your lips on the end of the hose and slowly suck through it until you see the water bubble up. Then just blow the smoke out."

"Is this safe, Liv?" Alex asked, becoming nervous.

"Smoking hookah every once in awhile isn't gonna give you lung cancer. Go on. Give it a shot. Don't be scared."

Alex took the hose from Olivia's hand and put her lips on it. She suddenly pulled it away and asked, "How much sucking does it take?"

"Come on, you're thinking too hard about this. Just watch me." While pressing down on the charcoal with the tongs, she took the hose and put her lips on the tip to draw up the smoke. After inhaling, she blew it out. Then inhaling a second time, she blew a few smoke rings into the air.

Alex giggled. "That's pretty cool."

"You ready?" Olivia asked, holding the hose out to her again.

Alex nodded. "Yeah." She put the end cautiously to her lips and started to suck.

"Suck harder. You don't even have to inhale if you don't want to. But the water needs to bubble up to the top of the chamber. That's how you know you have enough smoke."

Alex tried again with success. After blowing out the smoke, she exclaimed, "This is so much fun, Liv!"

Olivia grinned. "I knew you'd love it. Tomorrow we'll mix the apple and strawberry shisha so the smoke will taste even better."

Alex did it a second time and this time inhaled. "It feels cool inside my lungs."

"Feels nice, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm not gonna get addicted, right?"

Olivia laughed. "No, sweetie. This is just an occasional thing."

"Ok. Good."

After blowing out some more smoke rings, Olivia said, "And we can invite the whole gang over one night and just smoke."

"That would be fun, Liv." She looked down at Olivia's chest. "Are you _sure_ you aren't cold?"

Olivia smirked. "How about you come over here and warm me up?"

Alex went over and sat in Olivia's lap. "My pleasure." She took the hose from Olivia's hand and took another puff.

"You're becoming a pro."

"I learn from the best."

After they finished smoking, they went back inside. Olivia cleaned the hookah and asked, "What's next on the agenda, birthday girl?"

"Let's go back outside and look at the stars," Alex proposed.

"I'd love to," Olivia replied, taking her hand and leading her outside. "I've always loved telescopes. When I was 8, my mom got me one and every night, I'd look through it into the universe. I was so sad when it got broken," she said, looking down.

Alex gently put a hand on her shoulder. "How did it get broken?"

"My mom was drunk one night and got mad at me because I hadn't done the dishes. She tried to hit me but knocked it over instead," Olivia answered quietly.

Alex brushed a hand over her hair. "Oh, sweetie…"

Olivia gave her a weak smile. "It's ok." Deciding to make a slight change of subject, she continued, "Hey, I know all the constellations by heart. Want me to point some out to you?"

Alex smiled. "Sure."

Olivia wrapped an arm around her waist and pointed at the sky. "Ok. Right where my finger is pointing is Ursa Major. It contains the Big Dipper. Give me your finger and I'll show you." Alex presented her index finger to Olivia and Olivia guided it in the air to trace the shape of the Big Dipper. "Now you see the star where your finger is pointing now?" she asked, referring to a star at the end of the bowl of the dipper. Alex nodded. "Ok. That's Dubhe. Now watch as I move your finger…" she said, guiding it in a straight line northwest of Dubhe. "Now that's Polaris, or the North Star. It's the tail of the Little Dipper, which is part of Ursa Minor."

"That's the brightest star in the sky, right?"

"Not exactly. The North Star is really not that bright at all. On the contrary, the real brightest star of all is right here beside me," Olivia replied, leaning in and kissing Alex.

Alex brushed Olivia's cheek and smiled. "Aww, Liv. You take my breath away."

Olivia blushed lightly. "And over here is Cygnus," she continued, guiding Alex's finger. "It resembles a swan in flight. And right here at the tail is Deneb." She swung the telescope to the left and aimed it up at the star. "Look through here. You can get a better view of Deneb."

Alex looked through the telescope. "It's so pretty and bright."

After a few more minutes of looking at constellations, they went back inside. "Thanks so much, Liv. I've never had anyone do that with me before."

Olivia smiled. "It was no problem."

"So what do you wanna do now?"

Olivia scooped Alex up in her arms and gently placed her on the bed. "It's time for me to give the birthday girl her 16 licks," she said with a wide grin. Alex started to turn over but Olivia stopped her motions. "Oh, no. I'm not talking about that type." She flicked her tongue out at her.

Alex laughed and shook her head. "Why am I not surprised?"


	47. Screaming for More

**Chapter 47: Screaming for More**

Olivia dipped her head under Alex's gown. Grabbing her panties with her teeth, she proceeded to slowly drag them down her legs. Alex squirmed as Olivia's nose brushed her sensitive clit.

Once they were completely off, Olivia held the panties in one hand and deeply inhaled their sweet scent. "Mmm," she moaned, slowly licking her tongue up the center of the fabric.

Alex felt her wetness spreading. "Hey, I thought _I_ was gonna get the licks!" she joked.

"Oh, you will. Just be patient. Now it's time for the dragon to come off," she whispered sultrily, running her hand over the design on the gown.

"Come off or come out?" Alex teased.

"Both if you want," Olivia replied.

Alex stood up and Olivia untied the corset back of her strapless gown. Alex dropped the gown to the floor and kicked it a couple feet away from her. Olivia licked her lips as she gazed at Alex's nude form. "So beautiful." She leaned in to envelop Alex's mouth.

Alex kissed back slowly and deeply. She ran her hands over Olivia's back, letting her fingers rest on a strand of rhinestones. Pulling back from her mouth, she pulled Olivia's halter over her head. Olivia's full breasts sprung free and Alex immediately gripped them tightly in her hands. Olivia pulled Alex to her again and consumed her mouth as she pulled her gown down over her hips and let it drop to the floor as well.

Alex dipped a hand in Olivia's underwear and rubbed her sex. "These have to come off now," Alex whispered beside her mouth.

Olivia pulled her panties down with lightning speed and kicked them away from her so hard that they landed on top of Alex's laptop. She let out a laugh. "Oh shit, baby! Sorry!"

"Don't worry about that," Alex told her, throwing back the covers. She pushed her down on the bed and straddled her waist. "They're nice decoration."

Olivia chuckled and brought Alex's mouth to hers again. She nibbled on her lower lip as she reached up to tweak a nipple. "I've wanted to make love to you all night," she told her.

Alex ran her hands down Olivia's arms. "Great minds think alike. You looked so fucking sexy in your dress I just wanted to rip it off and have my way with you in the ballroom."

"Well, you can certainly have your way with me now," Olivia responded.

"Oh, I plan on it." She picked up Olivia's diamond pendant and brushed it over her nipples. Smiling, she whispered, "The pokies love diamonds."

"Why, yes, they do. But maybe I should take this off before we get started. Don't want it to suffer any damages."

Alex laughed and unclasped her own necklace as Olivia took off hers. "It's gonna be that intense, huh?"

"It is your 16th birthday after all," Olivia replied, removing her earrings as well. She took Alex's and put them on the nightstand beside their necklaces.

"So what are we gonna do first?" Alex asked.

"This," Olivia said. She ran her hands over Alex's breasts as she explored her mouth with her tongue.

"Mmm…" Tilting her head and running her fingers through her hair, Alex chased Olivia's tongue. As she sucked it gently, she became more aroused by the second.

A few minutes later, Olivia pulled back and said, "I have a few goodies to show you, but first let me give you what I promised." She flipped them over and made her way down Alex's slender figure. Massaging her center with her fingers, she lowered her mouth and delivered the first lick to her sex.

With each lick, Alex's arousal spread. Olivia reveled in the salty-sweet taste. She gave eight slow, long licks to her outer folds before parting her lips and giving the remaining eight to her inner sex. Then licking her lips, she said, "And now one to grow on." She dragged her tongue up her stiff clit and sucked it gently. Alex moaned loudly. She grunted in frustration when Olivia stopped sucking and got up off the bed.

Olivia gave her a lopsided grin. "You didn't think I was gonna let you come that quickly, did you?"

Alex pouted. "Liv, why must you tease me on my birthday?"

"Oh, if you think that's teasing, you ain't seen nothin' yet!" she promised. She grabbed a duffle bag and set it on the bed beside Alex.

"What's in there?" Alex inquired.

"Open it and see."

Alex unzipped the bag and her jaw almost dropped to her knees. "Well, I'll be damned, Liv! Did you bring the whole sex shop with you?" she asked incredulously.

Olivia grinned. "Go ahead. Look through it."

Alex began sifting through the bag of toys and treats. There were dildos, vibrators, handcuffs, nipple clamps, a crop, several different flavored lubes, massage oils, candies, and games. She picked up some chocolate body frosting and strawberry body crème. "I'd like to taste these."

"You can taste as much as you want tonight. This should be good, too," Olivia replied, pulling a container out.

"What's that?" Alex asked.

"Lust dust. It's like edible body shimmer," Olivia explained. She unscrewed the top, dipped her fingers into it, and spread some on Alex's stomach.

Alex smiled. "Ooh, it's pretty."

Olivia bent down and licked it off. "Tastes pretty, too!"

"What's it taste like?"

"Well, this flavor is Strawberry Daiquiri." She traced a little on her own stomach and told her, "Try it."

Alex licked the lust dust off her abs. "Mmm!" She picked out a few more things and put them on the bed. "I think this will be enough to start us off."

Olivia smiled. "I'm glad to see your adventurous side come out tonight."

Alex shrugged. "Well, I'm a year older now. New attitude. I'm no longer afraid of your big bad toys."

Olivia giggled. "I can see that. I must say I like this boldness." She picked up a feather teaser and dragged it across Alex's nipples.

"Liv, that tickles!"

"It's supposed to," Olivia replied, brushing it over her center.

Alex spread her legs so the feathers met her clit. But Olivia would only give her a little swipe before she brought the teaser down the inside of her thigh and continued down her leg. When she reached her toes, she brushed it between each one and then opened the jar of chocolate body frosting. She traced some on her nipples and told Alex, "Lick it off."

"I think we need a little more," Alex said, dipping a finger in and tracing more on her nipples. Then she took one of Olivia's nipples into her mouth and slowly sucked off the gooey chocolate. "Mmm…I don't know what tastes better," she mumbled, moving to the next nipple. "This chocolate or your nipples."

Olivia could feel her own arousal spreading as Alex sucked, bit, and pulled her nipples. "I'll let you be the judge of that." When Alex was done, Olivia dipped her fingers into the chocolate again and brushed some on her toes. Then she expertly sucked and licked the frosting off each of Alex's slender toes.

Alex leaned back against the pillow and let out a long satisfied moan. "Liv, you have no idea how that…mmm…oh, shit…" Olivia looked into her eyes and sucked harder. When Alex's brain would function again, she finished her previous thought. "…feels."

Olivia turned Alex on her stomach. She kissed her way down her spine and then opened the container of strawberry body crème. She painted a line of chocolate frosting down her spine and topped it off with a line of strawberry crème. She reached around to cup Alex's breast and proceeded to lick the mixture off her back.

Alex moaned even louder. "Oh, Liv…please…"

"Please what?" Olivia mumbled, sitting down on Alex's ass. She continued to lick up and down her back as she brushed her own center back and forth between her cheeks.

"Please…please…." Alex stammered. For the life of her, she couldn't remember what she had planned to ask Olivia to do. She probably would've forgotten her own name if Olivia had asked it at that point.

"You know, Alex, if you want to be a lawyer one day, you're gonna have to be more articulate than that."

Alex could feel Olivia's wetness spreading. It dripped down and blended with her own. Olivia let her hard nipples brush against her back as she continued to slide back and forth. She lifted up Alex's hair and kissed her at the nape of her neck. Alex bit her lip and reached up to grip the headboard. Olivia kissed down the arch in her back and twisted one of Alex's nipples tightly. Alex let out a slight yelp and begged, "Olivia…please, baby. Let me come."

"Ooh, someone's impatient," Olivia teased. "Not yet, though." When her clit couldn't take anymore, she got off Alex and flipped her over on her back again. Then she swooped down to her feet and licked a line from her toes to her neck. She licked across her collarbone and her breasts before moving down her body again and purposely licking around her mound but not on it.

"Gosh, Liv, you're gonna kill me!" Alex yelled, desperate for Olivia to make contact with her center.

Olivia laughed. "Well, the French do call the orgasm the 'little death,'" she countered.

Alex spread her legs wide. "Liv!"

Olivia leaned down and blew lightly against her exposed sex. Alex squirmed and tried to push her sex against her lips but failed miserably. Olivia blew her warm breath against it again and quickly moved back before Alex could force her to make contact. She laughed again at Alex's desperation.

Alex frowned. "Just what about torturing me is funny?"

Olivia ran her fingertips up and down Alex's thighs, sending shivers throughout her body. "Oh, in just a few, you'll forget about the torture."

"How so?"

Olivia slid up beside Alex. "Kneel over my face."

Alex did as she was told. Olivia lowered her slick center over her mouth and stuck her tongue out to catch a few drops of her wetness. After bathing her entire sex, she thrust her tongue as deeply inside her as she could. Alex's eyes rolled back in her head as Olivia's stiff, wet tongue pumped in and out of her.

"Oh, Liv! Oh, fucking shit motherfuck, Liv!" Alex yelled, bouncing harder against her tongue.

Olivia slapped her ass a few times as she began flicking and twisting her tongue against her walls. She pressed her thumb hard against her quivering clit and began to massage it in circular motions. Alex was in pure ecstasy. She grabbed the headboard for support as she continued to ride Olivia's tongue. "Yes! Yes! Fuck, Liv, harder! Yes!" Earlier she'd wanted to come, but now the sensations felt so good that she didn't want them to end.

Olivia drove her tongue in faster and harder. Alex was close to coming when Olivia suddenly removed her tongue and said, "Lay flat on your back, baby."

"You want me to bend backwards?" she asked in confusion, disappointed that Olivia had once again broken contact with her sex.

"Yeah," Olivia replied breathlessly.

Alex bent backwards. She felt Olivia's warm clit against the back of her neck. Lifting her ass, Olivia thrust her tongue back inside Alex tenderly and quickly, bringing her closer and closer to orgasm. Olivia felt her own orgasm about to break as Alex's neck kept stimulating her swollen clit each time she brought her hips forward to meet her tongue. She tried to contain it as hard as she could as she continued to drive Alex's sex fiercely onto her tongue.

This was one rollercoaster ride Alex never wanted to get off. "Oh, Liv, please don't stop!"

When she knew Alex was at the breaking point, she flipped her back upright with such force that Alex saw stars. Alex threw her palms against the wall to brace herself as her muscles clenched around Olivia's tongue. She let out a long scream as wave after wave of her orgasm overtook her. Olivia moaned as Alex's delicious nectar caressed her tongue and flowed down her throat.

After drawing the last of Alex's shudders out by softly stroking her clit, Olivia licked her lips and slowly removed Alex from her face. "Now that's what I call direct deposit," she said with a grin.

Alex let out a hearty laugh as she sat on Olivia's taut abs. "You're something else, Liv." After she'd caught her breath, she spread Olivia's legs apart and swiped her tongue against her sex. She shoved three fingers inside and thrust deeply before taking her clit into her mouth and sucking it as hard as she could. Olivia's orgasm tore through her like a whirlwind and she wrapped her legs around Alex's back and clung to her for dear life. When her muscles finally released her fingers, Alex licked every drop of her juices from them and then licked her sex clean until Olivia stopped trembling beneath her.

"Please, baby," Olivia begged. "Can't…take…anymore. Brain on fire."

Alex grinned. "Now who's begging?" She lay beside Olivia, whose chest was still heaving and slicked with sweat. "Wow."

"Wow, indeed," Olivia agreed. She leaned up on one elbow and continued, "Wanna try a vibe now?"

Alex laughed. "Baby, you're like the Energizer bunny!"

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "Oh, yeah. And I plan on going and going and going _all_ night long."

"Good to know," Alex replied. She looked through the toys she'd earlier placed on the bed. "What sizes are these?" she asked, pointing to the dildos and vibrators.

Olivia sat up to examine them. "Uh…well this one is 7.5 inches long. This one over here is 8, and the one right beside it is 8.5. Actually, none of them are over 8.5. The smallest is 7."

Alex nodded. "I see." Deciding to go all the way, she pointed to an 8.5" purple jelly vibrator. "How about this one, Liv?"

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Daring, aren't we?"

Alex giggled. "A little."

"Feel how soft that is," Olivia instructed, holding out the jelly vibe to her.

Alex gripped it with one hand and bent it back and forth. "That's nice. It's so flexible, too!"

Olivia took the vibe back and slid it into her mouth to wet it. As she licked along the soft ridges, she told Alex, "Pick out a lube."

Just seeing Olivia's tongue tease the vibrator like that made Alex's wetness start spreading all over again. She didn't think she'd need the lube, but since she'd never tried anything that large before, she decided to go ahead with it. After looking through the different flavors, she picked a cherry flavored one.

Olivia smiled at her. "Cherry. How appropriate." Before opening the bottle of lube, she traced the vibe against Alex's nipples, watching them harden in anticipation. She then ran it between her breasts and down her stomach. Alex's eyes excitedly followed it. Continuing to rub it over her breasts and stomach, Olivia licked her sex. Looking back up at her, she asked, "You ready?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah, sweetie."

Olivia noticed slight apprehension in Alex's eyes. "It's ok to be a little nervous, sweetie. But I won't let anything happen to you, ok?"

"Ok."

Olivia flipped open the cap of the bottle and poured some lube onto her fingers. She rubbed it over the vibe and slowly inserted it inside Alex. She pushed a couple inches in first just so she could get a feel for it. "Baby, you're so fucking tight," she commented.

Alex felt herself opening wider as Olivia began thrusting lightly. "You like that, don't you?"

"Always have," Olivia responded. She pushed the vibrator in a couple more inches before turning it on. She automatically knew the exact rhythm that would sync with Alex's body and give her the most pleasure. She alternated between the second and third speeds, delighted with seeing the changes in expression on Alex's face. Knowing that Alex was so turned on made her even more aroused. She began rubbing her own center with her other hand as she gently pushed the vibe back and forth.

"Mmm…" Alex moaned, closing her eyes as the soft ridges slid past her walls. She listened to the gentle hum of the vibrator. "It's so quiet."

"Yep," Olivia replied. Continuing to pump the vibe inside her, she moved up her body and took a stiff nipple into her mouth, sucking hard.

Alex squirmed against the sheets as the vibe sent pulses of pleasure coursing throughout her body. She reached behind her and gripped a pillow tightly as Olivia slid another inch inside. "Fuck, Liv…"

"Am I hurting you, baby?" Olivia asked, looking up.

Alex shook her head quickly. "No…it's just that I feel a little pressure."

"Ok," Olivia replied, running her thumb over Alex's clit. She replaced her thumb with her tongue and then slid yet another inch of the vibe in.

Alex let out a gasp and arched her back. "Ooh…"

"You want me to stop here or you think you can take it all?" Olivia asked.

"Go ahead. I picked the 8.5" for a reason, sweetie," Alex replied with a smile.

Olivia smiled back and almost pulled the whole thing out of her except for an inch. She gripped it tightly to keep the slippery vibe from pulsating out of her hand. Then she pumped it back and forth a few times, each time increasing the depth of her thrusts and twisting it inside her. The soft gel squished against Alex's muscles as it pushed forth. Soon she had the last couple inches inside Alex. "Does that feel good?"

Alex nodded. The sensations deep inside her were building up quite an orgasm. Looking into Alex's eyes, Olivia removed the vibe and licked and sucked her sweet juices from it. Alex licked her lips as she watched Olivia's expert lips work. She almost came when Olivia kneeled over her center, leaned back at an angle, and slowly inserted the vibe into herself. She pushed it in deeper and harder until the entire length was finally inside. Alex squeezed Olivia's clit as the vibe disappeared and reappeared at random.

As Olivia continued to pump the vibe in and out of herself, Alex leaned forward and sucked her nipples until they were at maximum erection. Then she grabbed the nipple clamps and attached them. Olivia closed her eyes and let out a sharp gasp of pain mixed with pleasure as the tight clamps held her nipples captive.

"Do they hurt, Liv?" Alex asked.

Olivia opened her eyes and looked down at Alex. "They hurt so good."

Alex pushed Olivia's hand off the vibe and took over the thrusting. She leaned in and licked her nipples around the clamps. Olivia grabbed a handful of Alex's hair and ordered, "Harder. Fuck me harder."

Alex picked up her rhythm and turned up the speed. Olivia threw her head back and let out a low guttural moan. She rocked her hips back and forth on the vibe while Alex opened and closed the clamps on her nipples. Olivia screamed out in pain, reveling in the sensations of the blood rushing back to her nipples each time Alex released the clamps. Alex finally removed the clamps for good and sucked the tender, sensitive buds of flesh into her mouth.

"Ooh, careful, baby," Olivia instructed, hissing slightly.

Alex kissed the nipples and said, "I promise I'll be gentle." With a sly smile, she picked up the crop and slapped Olivia hard on the ass with it. A bright red mark appeared in the shape of the crop head. Alex rubbed the spot tenderly before giving her another hard smack.

"What happened to gentle?" Olivia asked.

"That was for your nipples," Alex answered. She pushed Olivia back on the bed and positioned her center against hers so that their clits were touching. When Alex slid her hips back and forth, the ridges of the vibe brushed against her ass. As she drove her clit into Olivia's, she continued thrusting the vibe inside her until they both were shuddering violently and screaming expletives.

Alex fell forward onto Olivia and lay there until she'd recovered enough energy to slowly remove the vibrator. She and Olivia licked the juices from it and then Alex threw it back on the bed. "That was fun," she said breathlessly, rolling off her.

"Oh definitely," Olivia replied. "You're a natural."

Alex laughed. "Well, you've taught me so much. This time last year I hadn't even lost my virginity yet."

Olivia smiled. "Your mom would kill me if she knew all the stuff we were doing tonight."

"Ha! So would yours!" She walked her fingers up and down Olivia's stomach. "Are your nipples still sore?"

Olivia nodded. "A little. But they're still not ready to turn in for the night."

Alex shook her head. "I have a feeling we're going to be sleeping a good part of the day tomorrow."

"But certainly not now," Olivia said. She sat up on the bed. "I just got a great idea."

Alex looked at her with a curious smile. "What's that?"

"You'll see." Olivia picked up a pair of handcuffs off the bed and dangled them over Alex's face. With a wicked grin, she grabbed Alex's wrists and raised them above her head.

Alex felt the cool steel lock against her wrists. "Officer Benson, what did I do wrong?"

Olivia looked at her and gave the cuffs a sharp tug against the bedpost. Alex arched her back and tried to rub her sex up against Olivia, but she wouldn't let her. "That's Detective Benson to you."

Alex grinned. "What am I under arrest for, _Detective_?"

"For being a very, _very _naughty birthday girl," Olivia responded, moving down her body. "Now I have to do a cavity search to see if you are hiding any contraband." She licked up and down the length of her slit before parting her lips and pushing her tongue inside.

"Detective Benson, since when do they allow you to do cavity searches with your tongue?"

That warranted a hard smack with the crop on her thigh. A bright red welt appeared on her smooth, creamy skin. "You aren't allowed to question the detective."

"I'm going to have a word with your commanding officer and then I'm filing a complaint for police brutality!"

"Is that a threat, Miss Cabot?" Olivia asked.

Alex smiled, a defiant twinkle in her eye. "It's a promise."

Olivia slapped the crop against her sex and Alex screamed. "Stop resisting," she ordered. Nonetheless, she placed a few tender kisses where the leather head had hit and then rubbed her center gently. "Now are you going to cooperate for the detective?" she asked, dragging the crop between her ass cheeks.

"No," Alex answered.

Olivia slapped her on the knee with the crop. "What was that?"

"I meant to say yes!"

"You are to remain quiet while I perform this search or someone will have a very sore pussy tonight," Olivia informed her, raising the crop as a warning. When she was sure Alex was going to obey, she plunged her tongue deep inside her. Before Alex could get lost in its smooth, talented motions, Olivia pulled it out of her and moved back. Groaning loudly, Alex lifted her hips and tried to force her sex on her face again but she moved out of her reach. "You want some more?" Olivia asked.

Alex nodded desperately. Olivia continued, "Then you will do whatever I say without protest."

"What would you like for me to do, Liv?" Alex asked. Olivia turned her over on her side and slapped her hard on the ass with the crop. "Uh, I mean Detective Benson!" she corrected herself.

"Much better," Olivia replied, turning her on her back again. She dragged the crop between her breasts. "I want you to tell me why you've been so naughty."

Alex lifted her foot and ran it over one of Olivia's breasts. "Because I felt like it."

Olivia slapped her foot with the crop and Alex yelped. "That's not the right answer."

"Ok! I just wanted to have a little fun, but I'm sorry for being naughty," Alex amended.

Olivia kissed her foot tenderly and brought the crop up her leg. She traced circles on Alex's inner thigh and then dipped the crop between her moist folds to capture some of her arousal. Staring into Alex's eyes, she sucked her wetness off the leather.

Whimpering, Alex struggled against the bedpost. She longed for Olivia's tongue to caress her again. "Detective, you never finished performing your search."

"I don't need you to tell me how to do my job," Olivia replied, a hint of hardness in her voice. She dipped a finger in the strawberry body crème and traced some on her nipples.

Alex licked her lips. She could feel her wetness dripping onto the sheets below her. Olivia leaned over her and dangled a breast over her face. Alex leaned up to take the nipple into her mouth just as Olivia moved back. Alex slammed the heel of her foot against the bed in frustration. "Come on!"

"Nuh uh," Olivia teased. "What have I told you about being naughty?"

Alex groaned and once again yanked her wrists against the bedpost. She felt the leather head of the crop smack her thigh again a couple times. "Ow, Liv!"

"Excuse me?" Olivia asked, raising the crop again.

"Detective Benson!" Alex yelled quickly.

Olivia dropped her arm. "Keep this up and I'll have to give you a full spanking." She watched Alex stare lustfully at her nipple. "Oh, you'd like this, wouldn't you?"

Alex nodded. Olivia dipped her finger in the container again and sensually sucked the crème off it. "Now tell me what you've done to deserve this."

"It's my birthday," Alex whined.

Olivia laughed at Alex's pout. "And it looks like you'll be spending the rest of it in handcuffs."

"My wrists are hurting!" Alex complained.

Olivia kneeled beside her and ran the crop up and down her stomach. She turned Alex's face toward her and traced a finger down her jawline. "You'd like to be free, wouldn't you?"

"Yes."

Olivia gave her a wicked grin. "Too bad!" She moved away from her on the bed. "I want you to close your eyes."

"Why?"

"My, are you hard-headed, Alexandra Cabot. Didn't I tell you not to question the detective?" She turned her over on her side and slapped her ass several times with the crop, alternating from one cheek to the other.

Alex screamed in pain with each blow and fought back tears. Her ass was on fire and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. But to her surprise, there was something so erotic about the spanking that it caused her wetness to increase and spread down her thighs.

"Now look what you made the nice detective do." Olivia lowered her mouth to her ass and lovingly kissed the welts multiple times. The feel of Olivia's lips against her skin made Alex even more aroused. Olivia flipped her back over and straddled her waist. "Now are you gonna do what I tell you?"

Alex nodded and closed her eyes. "Yes, Detective Benson."

"Good," Olivia said, getting off her waist. "Open your mouth."

Alex complied and Olivia leaned over and inserted a nipple into her mouth. Alex greedily sucked the crème off it, thankful that Olivia was at least giving her a little bit of reprieve from the punishment. When she'd finished, Olivia let her suck the other nipple. Alex sucked even harder when she felt Olivia's center dripping onto her stomach.

Olivia let out a deep moan. "Yes, that's right, please the detective." Before she knew it, she had dipped two fingers inside herself and was pumping them in and out as Alex continued to lick and suck to her heart's content. Feeling that she was close to orgasm, she moved back. "Ok, that's enough for now. But it's nice to see that you're being good for a change."

Alex whimpered at the loss of contact but did not dare open her eyes again. Olivia got up to get a piece of ice and then returned to the bed. As soon as she touched the ice to a nipple, Alex's eyes flew open.

Olivia instantly picked up the crop again. "Did I give you permission to open your eyes?"

Alex shook her head. "Not really, but ice kinda has that effect."

"Smartass, huh?" She traced the crop around her erect nipple before giving it a firm smack.

Alex cried out again as the stinging pain shot through her. "Shit, that hurts!"

Olivia massaged the nipple and placed a kiss on it. "Does this hurt?"

Alex shook her head. "That feels good." Olivia picked up the piece of ice and rubbed it against her nipple to soothe the burn from the leather. "Mmm…that feels even better."

Feeling guilty, Olivia moved the ice to the welts on her ass and thighs. "You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah."

"This is all in fun," Olivia continued. She ate what was left of the ice and then ran her cold tongue between her warm folds. "Mmm…you taste so good for such a naughty girl."

Alex moaned and bit her lip. "Detective Benson, do you treat all your perps this well?"

Olivia looked up and smiled. "You're a personal favorite." She licked her opening, which was begging for the return of her tongue. "Now I need to finish my cavity search."

"Yes ma'am, Detective."

Olivia threw Alex's legs over her shoulders and slowly slid her tongue inside her. Alex had forgotten all about the pain in her wrists and the welts on her body as Olivia's tongue deeply explored her soft tunnel. Olivia reached up to caress a breast. Alex closed her eyes and moaned, "Ooh, yes."

But Olivia wasn't ready for her to come yet. She once again removed her tongue, much to the disappointment of Alex. "Please, Detective Benson. Don't stop."

Olivia smiled. "You're lucky your cavity search came up clean." She picked up a clear glass dildo. Alex eyed it intently. Olivia ran it across Alex's thighs and then traced her belly button with the curved end. Alex's breath caught in her chest. "Now that you've withstood the pain like a champion, are you ready for a little pleasure?"

Alex nodded. "Yes, please."

Olivia gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "See what using manners gets you?" She kissed a line down her body until she reached her center. Then she carefully slid the dildo inside Alex and started up a gentle thrusting rhythm.

"Ohhh…" Alex moaned. The glass felt cool at first, but it quickly warmed up deep inside her hot walls. She almost lost it at the sensation of the glass slipping and sliding around inside her. Olivia straddled her thigh and started grinding her sex into it as she continued thrusting. She started spinning the glass, which made Alex moan and gasp louder.

"How does that feel?" she asked Alex.

"Good. Too good," Alex answered, barely able to get the words out.

Olivia leaned down to suck her nipples. Then she pressed her thumb against her clit and vigorously moved it up and down as she stimulated her swollen G spot with the curved end of the dildo. Alex felt as if her whole body was on fire. Knowing that Alex was close to coming, Olivia started grinding her sex harder and faster onto her thigh. Pretty soon, Alex had had all she could take. Her thighs began trembling fervently and her breathing quickened. She let out a scream as her whole body tensed up and then exploded with pleasure.

"Oh, dear god!" Alex yelled as the orgasms kept coming.

Alex's trembling underneath her drove Olivia over the edge. "Fuck! Sweet fucking shit!" she screamed as she came hard on her thigh.

When their orgasms had finally abated, Olivia pulled out the dildo, which was covered in Alex's juices. She licked up every bit and then pushed her tongue inside her mouth for a deep, passionate kiss. Their tongues danced together for a few minutes before Olivia broke the kiss to catch her breath.

"Thank you, baby," Alex said.

Olivia grinned. "Thank _you_." She unlocked the handcuffs and placed several kisses on the red, sore wrists. She brushed back a few strands of Alex's hair that had become matted to her face. "Oh god, that was intense," she said, falling on her back.

"You're telling me!" Alex said. She cuddled up in Olivia's arms and laid her head on her shoulder. "This was certainly the best birthday present ever."

Olivia smiled down at her and kissed her softly on the forehead. "I told you I'd make your birthday the most special day of your life."


	48. Cocoon

**Chapter 48: Cocoon**

When Alex woke up the next morning, it was already 10:30. She yawned loudly and looked beside her. Olivia was still fast asleep with an arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She smiled and lightly brushed a hand over her hair. Not wanting to wake her, she carefully pried Olivia's arm away and slipped out of bed to shower.

About 15 minutes later, Alex came out of the bathroom wrapped in a white terrycloth bathrobe. Olivia was now wide awake. "Good morning, sleepyhead," Alex teased.

Olivia pouted. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

Alex smiled and climbed back in bed beside her. "Because we never would've made it out of the shower."

"What's wrong with that?" Olivia asked, pulling Alex in for a kiss.

Alex giggled against her mouth. "Nothing if we want to starve." She gave her another quick kiss on the lips, followed by one on the nose, and then pulled back. "Gosh, Liv, I'm so sore from last night!"

Olivia grinned. "Then let me get down there and kiss it…"

"No! That's how it got sore in the first place!"

Olivia laughed. "Well, I think it took a little more than kissing if I remember correctly…" She grabbed the sash to Alex's bathrobe and pulled it open.

Alex swatted her hands away. "You go take a quick shower. I'm gonna call room service and order us breakfast."

"Ok," Olivia said, stealing another kiss from Alex and then running off to the bathroom.

Several minutes later there was a knock at the door. "Room service, Miss Cabot," the waiter called. Alex opened the door and the waiter wheeled in his cart.

He removed the large silver domes to reveal scrambled eggs with chives, pancakes with strawberries and blueberries, applewood bacon, smoked salmon, fresh ruby red grapefruit with brown sugar, and breakfast potatoes. He began setting up the breakfast on the table. As he poured their beverages, he asked Alex, "Are there enough marshmallows in your hot chocolate?"

"Yes, thank you," Alex replied. She took a sip of her orange juice and rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Now _this_ is what I call breakfast."

Olivia came out of the bathroom in a fluffy bathrobe identical to Alex's. The aromas of the food immediately caught her nose. "Wow! All this is ours?"

"Yes, ma'am," the waiter answered. "Is there anything else you would like?"

Olivia shook her head. "No. This is plenty."

The waiter bowed to them. "Enjoy your breakfast, ladies."

Alex tipped the waiter and he took his leave. Closing the door, she squealed and said, "Oh, my taste buds are already powered up for this!"

"I can tell," Olivia said with a teasing grin.

Alex sat down at the table and Olivia took a seat across from her. Alex unfolded her napkin and placed it in her lap. "I wish we had food like this at school."

"Me too. You know…I've never spent the night in a fancy hotel like this before. You make me feel all special," Olivia said with a sheepish smile.

Alex reached across the table and brushed her cheek. "You _are_ special."

Olivia blushed and poured some syrup on her pancakes. "Sometimes you leave me speechless, Alex."

Alex just smiled at her. She poured her cheese sauce on her eggs and took a bite. "This is beyond orgasmic."

Olivia smirked. "Alexandra, do not refer to your food in that manner!" she mimicked in Madeline's voice.

Alex almost choked on her eggs laughing. "I remember that! We were at the charity gala!"

"Yep. And I have to say that this is a much more interesting and pleasant setting than that was."

"And we can do whatever we want here. No parents—"

"No friends. Just the two of us," Olivia finished for her, lifting her glass.

Alex toasted her and said, "To our freedom, our love, and the best weekend of our lives."

Olivia put some potatoes and salmon onto a plate. "I've never had salmon for breakfast."

Alex smiled and scooped a spoon into her grapefruit. "Go ahead. Help yourself to all you want."

After they'd both had a little of everything, they leaned back in their seats and held their hands over their stomachs. "Ugh. I'm so full!" Olivia exclaimed.

Alex picked up the menu and looked over it. "How about the ginger-teriyaki glazed sea bass with some lobster bisque for dinner? Ooh, the lobster bisque comes in a bread bowl."

Olivia laughed. "You're already thinking about dinner? Our breakfast hasn't even had time to digest!"

Alex shrugged. "What can I say? I like to plan ahead."

"Ok, little planner. So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well, we could lounge around here and watch movies. Maybe we can take a break and go for a drive or something. But we need to study at some point cuz you know we have that quiz with Olivet tomorrow."

Olivia slapped her hand to her forehead. "Shit! I forgot all about that! Dammit, she _would _fucking give a quiz on Monday and ruin our fun."

Alex laughed. "Don't worry, babe, I've got it covered. I brought my stuff for her class, so we can study together."

"Is that the only homework we have?"

"Lucky for us, yeah."

"Ok. I can deal with that then."

"I'm gonna bring my new MacBook with me to school tomorrow. That way, I can type up all my notes instead of having to write them down."

"Aren't you worried about it getting stolen?"

Alex shook her head. "Nah. I'll keep it with me all day. Besides, when I'm away from you and I get bored, I can just watch one of our videos."

Olivia smiled widely. "I think they'll be a little distracting."

"You're a good distraction."

"Just make sure you don't get that laptop confiscated."

"Maybe I should password protect it just in case prying eyes want to be nosy."

"That would actually be a smart idea," Olivia replied. "Could you imagine if someone you hated somehow got possession of your laptop and sent our videos out to everyone at school?"

Alex shuddered. "I don't even wanna think about it."

Olivia stood up and took a seat on the sofa. "Come cuddle with me."

"Gladly," Alex replied, going over and sitting in her lap. "You smell good."

"You can thank Frédéric Fekkai for that. Sure beats other hotel bath stuff."

"Toiletries, you mean?"

"I know what they're called! I just felt lame saying 'toiletries,'" Olivia replied, tickling Alex under her robe.

Alex giggled. "Stop!"

Olivia tilted her head up to give her a kiss. "I love these new highlights. They make your hair sparkle even more when the sun catches it."

Alex beamed. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Speaking of sun, we need to go ahead and get together with the gang so we can make exact plans for Spring Break," Alex said.

"Mmm…I can't wait to see you in your bikini on the beach," Olivia said, kissing Alex's neck. "All sandy…" She stopped to place another kiss on her neck. "…and wet."

"I have more to fill out the top now than when you first saw me in a bikini," Alex replied, grinning proudly. "Hey, let's go shopping for new bikinis today!"

Olivia couldn't help but smile at Alex's excitement. "Sounds great, babe."

"But first let's take a nap. I'm still a little worn out from last night."

"You should be."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Proud, huh?"

"I love it when I make hot girls scream," Olivia teased.

"You were screaming pretty loud yourself!"

"It's good exercise for my lungs."

Alex got off her lap and stretched. "I need to call and have room service come get the cart."

When Alex returned, Olivia leaned back on the sofa and sighed happily. "This is the perfect way to spend a Sunday."

Alex wrapped her arms around Olivia's neck and said, "I wish we'd never have to leave this place."

"Tell me about it. I'm not looking forward to going back to school…or my mom's."

Alex brushed a tendril of Olivia's hair back from her face and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You don't have to go back there."

Olivia rubbed Alex's back. "I know. But I feel like I should stop by to check in on her and make sure she's not passed out on the floor."

"Well…I could come back with you if you'd like."

Olivia patted Alex's hand. "That's really sweet of you to offer but I don't know what type of state or mood my mom will be in. But I promise I'll call you after I get unpacked and settled in. And if things are…let's just say, unfavorable, I'll spend the night with you. Deal?"

"Deal."

Olivia stood up and carried Alex to the bed. Alex untied Olivia's robe and then pulled off her own. "How long should we nap?"

"A couple hours should do it," Olivia said, cuddling up to her. "That should be long enough to replenish my energy for our big shopping expedition."

Alex laughed and poked Olivia in the stomach. "Come on! We're only gonna go in a couple stores at the most."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Please. You always say that and we always end up in no less than 8."

"I'm totally serious this time!" Alex insisted, pressing her forehead against Olivia's.

Olivia pulled the covers up over them and wrapped her arms around Alex. "It feels like we're inside our own little cocoon."

"It does, doesn't it?" Alex agreed. "I feel all warm and safe in your arms."

Olivia gave her a tender kiss. "I've never felt warm or safe with anyone but you."

"Aww," Alex said, giving her another kiss.

Olivia ran her hands over Alex's bare shoulders and stared into her ocean blue eyes. "Your skin is so soft."

Alex could feel the love emanating from her hands. "Your hands are so soft…and smooth….and they're strong. Just like your muscles."

Olivia grinned. "Well, you know my strongest muscle is my heart. And it's well-equipped to carry you around forever without ever tiring."

Alex felt her heart skip a beat. "Oh, Liv…you always say these things that make me want to just melt in a big puddle of gooey love."

Olivia rubbed her nose against Alex's. "I can't help but feel that way when I'm around you. Whenever I see you, I get tingly all over. And then you'll smile at me or say something sweet that will make me feel like I'm the most important person in the world."

"You are," Alex replied.

"When I first fell in love with you, I was scared shitless. You know…being so open and vulnerable with someone, my emotions are just so raw with you and I wasn't used to that. And there are still times when I feel that way—especially when I think about the worst possible reactions my mom and your dad might have about us. But I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world."

"Neither would I. You know…you are so beautiful the way you are…but when you lay your emotions out in front of me, you're absolutely radiant. And being with you makes me feel like I can do anything. I know my parents threw me this big party and Daddy calls me his princess, but no one really makes me feel like a princess but you."

Olivia beamed and placed her hand over Alex's heart. "You'll always be my princess. You're proof that fairy tales do come true."

"I love you," Alex said simply, placing her hand over Olivia's heart and capturing her lips.


	49. Temperature Rising

**Chapter 49: Temperature Rising**

Their friends were all waiting for them the next morning in the commons area. "Well, if it isn't the dynamic duo!" Casey teased.

"Walkin' a little funny, Alex," Serena joked. "Wonder what you guys did the rest of the weekend!"

Alex shoved Serena's shoulder. "Whatever!" She turned to Olivia and whispered, "I'm not, am I?"

Olivia grinned and kissed her on the cheek. "No, baby. You're walkin' just fine."

"You _did_ remember that we still have practice today, right?" Serena asked. "Although I don't know how flexible you'll be."

Elliot noticed the shit-eating grin on Olivia's face. "I can tell someone's not too worried if Alex will be able to perform her routines or not."

"She'll be ok," Olivia said, patting Alex on the back.

"You shouldn't be so smug," Alex shot back. "Cragen is gonna rip you a new one when you're a little stiff in the water today."

"Oh my muscles will be working just fine. I bounce back quickly," Olivia replied, grinning widely and wrapping her arms around her waist.

Alex draped her arms over Olivia's shoulders. "That bed sure had a lot of bounce."

"Wooo!" Casey exclaimed. "I bet you two bounced all over the place."

"You guys came straight from the hotel?" Kathy asked.

"Yep," Olivia answered, sitting on a bench.

Alex sat down in her lap. "I'm tired. This should've been a three-day weekend."

Olivia rubbed her back. "Too bad your birthday wasn't the weekend before Spring Break."

"Ooh, that reminds me!" Alex interjected, looking at their group of friends. "At lunch we have to get everything figured out."

"Oh, I don't think we'll be able to make it," Elliot said regretfully. "There's a Spring Break retreat for Catholic teens that our parents want us to go on."

Olivia smirked. "Sounds fun," she said sarcastically.

"Serena, why aren't you going?" Kathy asked. "Aren't you Catholic?"

"Yeah, but luckily my parents aren't making me go. It's enough that my father drags me to church every Sunday morning and even midnight mass at Christmas," Serena replied.

"Lucky you," Elliot said dryly.

"Well, while you're sitting around a campfire singing kumbahyah, the rest of us will be lying on a towel catching some sun and checking out hot girls," Olivia said.

That warranted a swat on the arm from Alex. "Um…I mean Serena and Casey will be checking out hot girls," Olivia corrected.

"Well, if you're too busy looking at other chicks, I guess you'll miss me walking around in my thong bikini," Alex announced.

"When did you get a thong bikini?!" Olivia demanded.

"When you weren't looking," Alex replied with a sly smile.

Olivia gave her a serious look. "You're not wearing that."

"Yes, I am."

"Well, then I guess I'll take off my top," Olivia retorted.

Alex's mouth dropped open. "You wouldn't!"

"If your ass will be hanging out, then so will my tits."

"That's not equal exposure! And if some guy's walking around taking pics, your tits will be on some fucking Girls Gone Wild site and you're underage!"

"And you think it'd be ok for your asscheeks to be on a site like that? You're younger than I am!"

"Kids, play nice," Kathy teased.

Alex turned around so that she was straddling Olivia's waist. "But I look so hot in my thong," she pouted, looking down at her. "Will you really be mad at me if I wear it? Just for a little bit?"

"Not if you wear it in the Jacuzzi where the only other people will be Serena and Casey."

Alex grinned victoriously. "I wasn't really gonna wear it on the beach. I just said that cuz you said you were gonna check out hot girls."

Olivia gave her an annoyed look. "Alex, why do you have to get me riled up like that?"

"Cuz I want you to pay the most attention to me," Alex pouted again.

"Sweetie, we already went over this. I told you I would, baby."

"Alex, what are you gonna do? Tape her eyes shut?" Serena asked.

Alex glared at her. "No, smartass. I was just messing with her head. I'm not gonna get all upset if she looks at other girls."

"Rightttttttttttttt," Serena responded.

"Quiet, Southerlyn," Alex snapped.

"Rawr," Kathy teased.

Alex turned back to Olivia and gave her a kiss. "I wish you could come to Euro with me."

Olivia snorted. "And listen to Stevens drone on and on? I think I'll pass."

"Girls, separate from one another or I'll write you both up," Mrs. Petrovsky ordered.

"Being written up is the only punishment being handed out for PDA these days? I thought surely this was the 16th century and we would be disemboweled and quartered," Alex replied sardonically.

Petrovsky pursed her lips and glared at her. "Save the wit for your friends, Miss Cabot."

Alex rolled her eyes and got off Olivia. "What an annoying old prude," she muttered when Petrovsky was out of earshot.

"I hate when she has morning duty," Olivia grumbled.

"Alex is pissed cuz she had to give up her favorite seat," Casey said to Serena.

"Damn right," Alex said. "This bench is cold; Liv's lap is warm."

Lexie walked into the commons area. "Hey, Alex, great party!" she shouted a few feet away from them.

"Yeah!" several other kids echoed around her.

"I'm surprised Abbie isn't with her," Olivia whispered as she watched Lexie mingle with her friends.

"Well, rumor has it that Abbie had something to do with the crashing," Elliot said.

"Yeah, some kids were saying that she paid a couple of the guys and their buddies just wanted in on the fun because they were mad they didn't get invites," Casey added.

Alex turned red. "I wouldn't put it past her."

"Speak of the devil," Elliot grumbled.

Abbie walked in and joined Lexie and the others. She shot a smug glance at Alex while talking to Lexie. Olivia glared at her and balled up a fist. "I'm gonna wipe that smirk off her face."

"Liv…it's just rumors. Calm down. Don't do anything stupid," Elliot warned.

"Did you see the look on her face?" Olivia demanded crossly.

"Yeah…but we all know the girl's a bitch. It's not worth getting suspended over. If Abbie really did pay them off, I'm sure she'll get in some trouble. And if not, then it's just rumors we should ignore," Elliot reasoned.

Alex rubbed Olivia's shoulder comfortingly. "Elliot's right. Let's not say anything to her unless she says something to us first."

At that moment, the first bell rang. They all stood up and started gathering their stuff. "Where to first?" Olivia asked.

"Let's go by your locker."

"Ok," Olivia said, grabbing her hand and leading them down the hall.

"Geez, baby, how can you find anything in here?" Alex asked in wonder as Olivia opened up her locker and a landslide occurred.

"Hey, I was in a rush Friday afternoon. So I just kinda shoved everything in there."

Alex bent down and helped Olivia pick up various papers and notebooks. "Oh, I can certainly tell."

Olivia shoved what she needed into her bookbag. "You can help me reorganize later on." She started to shut the door when Alex stopped her.

"Ooh, wait, are those Skittles back there?"

Olivia smirked. "Yeah. You can have them if you wish."

Alex gave her a huge kiss on the cheek and hurriedly reached inside her locker and retrieved the pack of candy. "I can snack on these throughout the day."

"Ha!" Olivia said as they headed towards Alex's locker. "They'll be gone by the end of first period."

Alex grinned and linked her arm through Olivia's. "Probably in the first five minutes."

* * *

Fifteen minutes into first period, Mr. Stevens left to get his coffee. Alex turned around to Serena and whispered, "Psst! Wanna see some pics from the party?" 

Serena stopped writing in her notebook and looked at the door apprehensively. "We have to be quick."

Alex opened up her laptop and moved to the side so Serena could see the screen. "Ok. These are the ones the photographer sent."

"You and Liv look so adorable there!" Serena gushed.

Alex grinned. "I know! Wasn't she gorgeous?"

The pictures attracted the attention of the other students. Soon a little group had gathered around Alex's desk to look as well.

"Oh, that's the pic of Jason trying to break dance," Alex said.

"Wait, didn't Jason try to crash your party?" Sara asked.

"That was another Jason," Alex answered. "This Jason isn't even friends with Dustin and the rest of those losers."

"Hey, make more room so I can see!" one kid ordered, trying to shove his way in so he could get a better look.

Alex kept scrolling through the pictures. "Here's another one from our belly dancing routine with Yasmin and the girls. Ooh, and here's one from when I cut my cake!"

"Miss Cabot, I know you think you're the star of this school right now, but in my class, there's only room for one and that's yours truly," Mr. Stevens said sternly, standing in the doorway. "Finish your work."

The group quickly scattered and returned to their seats. Alex rolled her eyes. As soon as he turned his back, she turned around again and whispered, "Hey, you want me to send some pics to you and Casey? I'm sending them to Liv right now."

"Yeah, that'd be great," Serena replied.

"Ok." She was in the process of emailing the pictures to them when her cell phone started blinking. She smiled when she saw it was a text from Olivia. She discreetly put her phone under her desk so she could type a reply.

"Alex, would you come up to the board and write three facts about the Dachau concentration camp?" Stevens ordered.

"Shit," Alex muttered as several students around her snickered, including Serena. She closed her laptop and coolly walked to the front of the room and picked up a marker.

Stevens frowned when she successfully completed the task. She turned to him with a smug grin and asked, "Will these suffice or should I continue?"

Stevens turned to the laughing students and glared. "Well, Alex, it appears you have quite an audience. And since the class is so entertained by your antics, I'm sure they'll be overjoyed to know that you have won them a special treat for the day—a pop quiz. So everyone, take out a piece of paper."

Everyone groaned, including Alex. "Come on, Mr. Stevens!" she protested.

"Return to your seat, Alex. And when this class is over, you will stay after 15 minutes."

"But I have a quiz next period!" Alex heatedly replied.

"Then you should have thought about that instead of disrupting my class. The next time you do it, I'm going to write you up."

Alex trudged off back to her desk and angrily ripped a piece of paper out of her notebook. _I hope this day doesn't get any worse_, she thought bitterly.

* * *

Olivia smirked when she saw Alex come in late. Her classmates were finishing up their quizzes. Alex rushed up to Dr. Olivet to quietly explain the situation. Reluctantly, she handed a quiz to Alex and instructed, "All right. But don't let it happen again, Alex. You'll have to borrow notes from Olivia or someone else because I'm not going to wait for you to finish before I begin the lecture. And you only have 6 minutes to complete the quiz instead of the usual 10." 

"Yes ma'am. Thank you so much," Alex said gratefully.

Luckily, the quiz was easy enough for Alex to finish in the nick of time. She quietly placed her quiz in the basket on Dr. Olivet's desk and then slipped into her seat again.

Dr. Olivet finished up her lecture a few minutes later and announced that they were going to begin watching a movie on Alfred Kinsey. As soon as the lights were turned out, Olivia leaned forward and tapped Alex on the shoulder. "Hey, why were you late?"

Making sure Olivet wasn't looking, Alex looked over her shoulder at Olivia and answered, "I was showing people pics from the party when Stevens walked in and caught me."

"Ouch," Olivia said. "Yeah, I got your text. I haven't had time to check my email yet."

"Those pics of us when we were dancing together on the floor before our routines are particularly hot."

Olivia grinned and whispered, "I look forward to seeing them. I'll have to make one of 'em my desktop background."

Alex tilted her head all the way back so Olivia could give her a kiss. "Those upside-down kisses are the best," Olivia said.

"Dr. Olivet, please!" Abbie protested, gesturing toward Olivia and Alex.

Olivia and Alex both acted like they were deeply entrenched in the movie. Dr. Olivet looked from Olivia and Alex to Abbie and asked, "What seems to be the problem?"

"They were making out!" Abbie exclaimed.

"We were not!" Alex denied.

"Dr. Olivet, I'm sure I'm not the only one who saw them!" Abbie looked at some of the students near Alex and Olivia's desks but no one said a word. She frowned and sneered, "Oh, that's nice! I see some of you are part of Alex's cult of personality."

"Abbie, please just pay attention to the movie," Dr. Olivet said.

Alex smiled smugly at Abbie and then turned to watch the movie. Abbie folded her arms angrily and muttered something unintelligible under her breath.

A few minutes later, Olivia leaned forward in her desk and slipped her hand under Alex's sweater. Alex leaned back as Olivia softly caressed her side. Olivia moved some of Alex's hair to the side and placed a soft kiss on her neck.

"Dr. Olivet, I know we're watching _Kinsey_, but are students actually supposed to demonstrate their places on his scale for us?" Abbie asked crossly, looking pointedly in Alex and Olivia's direction again.

Olivia quickly dropped her hand from Alex's side. Dr. Olivet followed Abbie's gaze and said, "What are you going on about now, Abbie?"

"Those two!"

"Mind your own, Abbie," Olivia barked. She looked at Dr. Olivet. "Do we have to keep answering to these inane accusations? It's not our faults Abbie forgot to take her lithium this morning." The whole class erupted in laughter.

Dr. Olivet let out a groan. "That's enough! Watch the movie and if I hear another word from either of you, I'm giving you _all_ detention. Keep your spats out of my classroom."

As soon as class was over, Olivia and Alex waited until Abbie came outside. Olivia grabbed her wrist and growled, "Not so fast."

Abbie yanked her wrist away and ordered, "Get your hands off me, you scum!"

Olivia pushed Abbie up against the lockers. "Listen bitch, I've had about all I could take of your bullshit. Keep fucking with us."

Abbie glared at her. "Your idea of a threat is pathetic. You don't scare me."

Olivia clenched her fist. "You better hope I don't catch your ass outside of school or I'm gonna beat the living—"

Abbie looked at Alex and cut Olivia off. "Get your violent girlfriend to do your dirty work, huh? Coward."

"She's not violent!" Alex shouted. "Just stop trying to cause trouble for us! We never did anything to you!"

They heard the click of heels coming toward the door. Olivia quickly stepped back from Abbie and took Alex's hand. "Leave us alone or there will be hell to pay," Olivia told her, giving her one last glare before they walked off.

Abbie gritted her teeth and straightened out her skirt as she watched their retreating backs._ We'll see about that_, she thought.


	50. No Place Like Home

**Chapter 50: No Place Like Home**

Once Alex had dropped her off that evening, Olivia snuck into her bedroom through the window. She quietly unpacked her things and then ventured out into the hall to get a glass of water from the kitchen. The rest of the house was shrouded in darkness. She put her hands against the wall to guide her as she quietly made her way toward the living room. She was just about to turn on the light switch when the one across the room was turned on for her. She jumped and threw her hand to her chest. "Mom! Shit, don't scare me like that!"

Her mother glared at her. "What have I told you about coming in at all hours of the night?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I was out with Alex."

Her mother stormed over to her and grabbed her. She began sniffing her. "Doing what, exactly? You smell like sex, you little tramp!"

Olivia yanked her arm away. "And you smell like booze!"

"Don't try to evade the question! This time I want a straight answer out of you. Are you sleeping with her?"

Olivia's mouth dropped open. "I can't believe you would insinuate that about my best friend!"

"She's not just your friend and you know it!" her mother yelled.

Olivia started to walk away. "I'm not having this conversation with you, Mom."

Her mother grabbed her again. "Did that hotel suite have one bed or two?"

Olivia sneered at her. "None of your business."

"I knew it!"

"Mom, there was a sitting room with a sofa! And even if there wasn't, just because two girls sleep in the same bed doesn't mean they're having sex!"

"You think I'm stupid, Olivia?"

"Just leave me the hell alone!" Olivia screamed.

Serena slapped her across the face. "I will not have a little dyke living under my roof!"

"I'm not fucking gay, Mom!" Olivia yelled, ashamed of herself for the lie she had just told.

"Oh, that's right. You kids these days think it's trendy to call yourselves bisexual."

"I'm not that either, Mom! I don't like girls!"

"Just wait, you little bitch. One day I'll catch you in the act," Serena vowed, her features contorting in anger.

"No, you won't cuz there's nothing going on in the first place! And even if there was, my private life and what I do with my own body is none of your fucking business!"

"I'm tired of your disrespectful attitude!" Serena yelled, hitting her across the face again.

Olivia could taste the metallic bitterness of blood on her lips. "And I'm tired of having to carry you into your bed every night and having to scrape the vomit off the floor!" she yelled, the tears streaming down her face.

"I hate having you for a daughter! I should've just aborted you!" Serena snarled.

"Maybe you should've cuz I hate having a drunk for a mother!"

"Why, you little—!" Serena raised her hand to hit her again but Olivia caught it.

"Do _not_ hit me again," Olivia growled in a voice that sounded foreign to her.

Serena raised the other hand but Olivia caught it, too. She yanked her hands away and pushed Olivia backwards with all her might. Olivia hit her head on the edge of the end table as she went down. The lamp crashed to the floor and the bottle of vodka spilled all over the carpet.

"Now look what you did! Destroying my house, you stupid little bitch!" Serena screamed, almost to the point of hysterics. "You will pay for my vodka, too!"

Olivia scrambled backwards on the palms of her hands as she desperately tried to get away from Serena. "Why? Because you need liquid courage to beat your own daughter?" she yelled. She managed to get back on her feet before Serena could strike another blow. She tore down the hall and slammed and locked the door.

She could hear her mother's fists pounding against it. "Open up! Open up now! You think you're better than me because you've got your little rich _friend_? I'll show you—and her, too!"

Olivia put a chair up against the door and then ran to her bed. She jumped on it and pulled her knees up to her chest. She trembled all over with rage. _What did I do to deserve this? _she thought. _Why can't she just love me?_ She angrily brushed away the hot tears that were spilling onto her shirt. As the minutes passed on, the pounding at her door stopped and so did her tears. She assumed her mother had either given up or passed out, and if it was the latter, this time she really didn't care. She picked up her bedroom phone and dialed Alex's private line.

"Hey, sweetie. I know it's late, but do you mind if I come over?" Olivia asked in a small voice, trying to hold back her tears.

Alex knew that something was drastically wrong. _Shit must've hit the fan with her mom_, she thought. "Of course not, baby. Do you need me to come get you?"

Olivia gave a small smile, pleased that now Alex was in a position to come rescue her. However, her mom would most likely hear the car pull up in the driveway and she didn't want her marching outside and starting trouble with Alex. "No, but thank you. I'll grab my keys and drive over as soon as I'm able to pack some shit."

"Ok," Alex answered softly, becoming more and more worried for Olivia. "Hurry."

"I will," Olivia said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Alex replied.

Olivia hurriedly packed some stuff into a duffle bag and then climbed out the window. She cranked up her car and sped off down the driveway.

What she didn't know was that her mother had been on the other line listening to every word she'd said.


	51. Aegis

**Chapter 51: Aegis**

Fifteen minutes later, Olivia was pulling up the long winding cobblestone driveway of Cabot manor. Alex was nervously waiting by the window in the foyer. As soon as Olivia parked, she let go of the curtain and rushed to let her in.

Alex opened the door and immediately burst into tears when she saw Olivia's cut lip and bruised cheeks. She ran a finger gingerly over the cut on the side of her forehead. "Oh, Liv…" She pulled her into a deep hug and just held her as Olivia's body wracked with sobs against her. "Shh, it's ok, baby. You're ok now. Let it all out."

"Why can't I just have a normal life?" Olivia cried from the depths of her being. "Why does my mom have to drink?"

Alex soothingly stroked her hair. "I love you," she whispered.

"At least someone does!" Olivia sobbed.

After several minutes, Alex kissed her forehead and said, "Come on, baby. Let's go up to my room."

Olivia nodded. Alex guided them upstairs. Olivia squeezed her hand tightly, afraid to let go.

Madeline had been watching unnoticed from around the corner and her heart went out to Olivia. She'd had no clue that Serena was an alcoholic. _How well do you really know someone?_ she wondered. She started to go upstairs and offer support but stopped herself because she didn't know if Olivia would close up entirely in the presence of an adult. She hoped that talking to Alex would be therapeutic. Besides, it was nice to see Alex with such a nurturing side.

Alex led Olivia over to her bed. She gently pried her fingers out of Olivia's and said, "I'll be right back, sweetie. I need to take care of your cuts."

Olivia nodded silently. After rushing into the bathroom and wetting a washcloth, Alex returned and gently dabbed at the dried blood. "Now tell me exactly what happened, sweetie."

"I…I got into a huge fight with my mom. And when I tell you what about you're gonna be pretty mad at me, but I can't say that I'd blame ya."

Alex gently stroked her face. "No, sweetie. There's nothing that could make me get upset with you now."

Olivia looked down. "Don't be so sure about that." She began recounting every painful, horrifying detail for Alex. "No place like home, huh?" she finished, sniffling.

"It tears me up inside to know that she puts you through so much," Alex said, placing soft kisses on her cuts. "No one deserves that, especially someone as great of a person as you." She wet a cotton ball with some peroxide and cleaned the cuts.

"I'm really sorry I lied about me…about us," Olivia said, the shame coloring her cheeks.

Alex pulled her into a deep embrace. "Baby, don't worry about that. She would've only hurt you more if you'd told her. I'd rather you keep it a secret and make it here in one piece than have to visit you unconscious in some hospital bed."

Olivia lifted her head slowly. "So you're not mad at me?"

"No, of course not."

Alex leaned in to kiss Olivia, who turned her head to the side. She was self-conscious about the nasty cut on her lip. "You don't have to kiss me, Alex."

Alex understood. "But I want to." She leaned in again and gently captured her lips, careful not to aggravate the cut.

The kiss was so light and tender and was just what Olivia needed. "Thank you."

Alex unscrewed the cap on the tube of Neosporin and began dabbing some on the cuts. "You don't ever have to thank me for showing you affection or taking care of you. It's my job and one I never plan on failing at."

Olivia smiled at her. "There are just no words to describe how amazing you are." She cuddled up under the covers with Alex. Her bed was so soft and warm and…_safe_.

Alex pulled her into her arms and kissed the top of her head. "How are you feeling now? Does anything hurt?"

"My head kinda hurts from where I hit it," she admitted.

Alex immediately jumped out of bed and got her two aspirin and a glass of water. Olivia nodded her thanks and took the medicine. She put the glass on Alex's nightstand and then cuddled back up to her. "What if her violence escalates?"

"I'll protect you from her," Alex vowed.

Olivia smiled. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"Tweety and I will kick her ass if she hurts you again."

Olivia laughed. "I can just see the two of you now—fists raised, ready for business."

"Damn straight," Alex said. She tried to keep a straight face but ended up laughing, too.

"And maybe Tweety can peck her to death with his beak," Olivia joked. "And baby Tweety can help!"

"Yeah, Tweety's fierce!"

Olivia laughed harder and kissed Alex on the forehead. "You are so adorable."

"Speaking of adorable…" Alex started. She ran into the bathroom and returned with a small band-aid. After putting it on the cut on Olivia's forehead, she asked, "Now who's adorable?"

Olivia picked up Alex's hand mirror and looked into it. "You do know that this is the only time you'll get away with putting Scooby Doo band-aids on me. And I'm _not_ wearing this to school tomorrow."

"Hey, they aren't mine! Peyton was over one weekend and left them here."

"Right, blame it on the kid, Alex," Olivia teased.

"Swear! Besides, you love Scooby! Remember when we were at the fair and you won me the big Tweety and yourself the big Scooby?"

Olivia smiled. "I know. I'm just messin' with ya, baby."

Alex linked her fingers with Olivia's and met her soft chocolate eyes. "I don't want you going back there."

Olivia pouted. "Believe me, I don't wanna go back. I should've just stayed with you anyway. Why should I give a damn if she's ok if she doesn't give a fuck about me?"

"I know, sweetie. I know," Alex responded. She placed Olivia's head on her chest and started playing with her hair.

Olivia took tremendous comfort in feeling Alex's smooth fingers glide through her strands. "I feel like I'll never escape her, baby."

"You already have." They lay like that for several minutes in comfortable silence. Alex thought about how fragile and vulnerable Olivia looked in her arms. She'd never understand how anyone could want to harm her. It made her even more determined to protect her. Just as the aegis had been the shield of Zeus, she would be Olivia's aegis.

Olivia suddenly let out a large groan and sat up. "Shit."

"What's wrong?"

"I haven't even done my chem homework."

Alex smiled. "You brought your textbook, right?"

Olivia nodded and pulled it out of her bookbag. "I hope this shit doesn't take too long. I'm tired."

"Well, are any of the answers in the back of the book?"

"Yeah. But it's only the odd ones. And we still have to show our work."

Alex rubbed her on the back. "You'll be fine. In the meantime, I need to finish this chapter of A Farewell to Arms before I go to sleep."

Olivia let out another groan. "Yeah, that reminds me. After I finish this I have a couple chapters of Frankenstein to read. Adams is giving us a quiz. I'm gonna be up all night."

"Well, if you get too tired, you can always look up the sparknotes."

"Yeah." She opened up her IB chemistry book and started working. "God, I can't tell you how much I absolutely loathe functional groups."

Alex smirked. "I'm not too fond of Hemingway right now either."

They worked silently for many minutes. When Alex finished her chapter, she put the book on her nightstand and laid her head on Olivia's shoulder. Trying to stifle a yawn, she asked, "How many more problems do you have to do?"

"Only a couple more."

"Ok," Alex replied. She grabbed her laptop from the end of the bed. "I'll keep you company while you read."

Olivia smiled at her and put down her pencil. "Baby, you don't have to do that. You've done so much for me already tonight. I don't wanna keep you up any longer. Besides, after I finish chem, who knows how long the chapters will be?"

"You're a fast reader. And if I stay up, I can motivate you so you don't fall asleep." She opened up her laptop. "I'll just IM or something while you're doing that."

"Is anyone still up?" Olivia asked, starting to write again.

"Let me sign into AIM and check…" Alex responded, trailing off. "Ok. Serena's online. So is Casey."

"Yeah, they're probably cybering with each other."

Alex laughed heartily. "Please! They _so_ do not do that type of stuff." She sent Serena an IM.

A couple minutes later, Olivia closed her chemistry book and put her homework in her notebook. "What are you guys talkin' about?"

"Oh, not much. I'm just teasing her about Casey. She asked me what I was doing and I told her I was in bed with you and she was like, 'Wow, is sex with Liv that boring that you have to get online while doing it?'"

"Oh, please!" Olivia said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Like that would ever happen."

"Yeah, I told her you were just spending the night and that there's never a boring minute when we're making love."

"Damn straight," Olivia agreed, opening Frankenstein.

Alex stretched out flat on her stomach and continued typing. Olivia tried to focus on her novel, but her eyes kept drifting to her girlfriend's supple ass, which her pajama pants clung to tightly. She had read the same paragraph over and over for the past five minutes in futile attempts to retain the details when she finally gave up. "Alex…" she whined. "Do you have to wear the sexy jammies?"

Alex looked back over her shoulder. "Why?"

"Cuz I'm supposed to be reading and all I can think about is how I wanna squeeze your ass!"

Alex burst out laughing. "Horny much?"

"It's your fault," Olivia mumbled, burying her nose in her book again.

"I'm not wearing any undies either."

Olivia put her book down again and gave her a look. "You're not helping the situation."

Alex giggled. "I know." She went back to typing.

Olivia rolled her eyes and forced herself to continue reading. About ten minutes later, she was finally done. She threw the book in her bookbag and said, "Now I can get some sleep."

Alex signed offline and closed her laptop. "Cuddle?"

"You betcha," Olivia said. She stared into Alex's eyes and asked, "I'm not wearing out my welcome, am I?"

Alex smiled. "Of course not, silly. You can stay here as long as you like. If your mom has a problem with you being here and pitches a fit, I'll just explain the situation to Mom and we'll handle it."

"Hell, she probably won't remember a thing that happened tonight. She was so wasted. She'll most likely drag herself to bed and just pass out."

"Yeah," Alex hoped, reaching over and turning off the lamp. She rubbed Olivia's side gently before leaning in and giving her a goodnight kiss. "Sleep tight, angel."

"You, too," Olivia said, closing her eyes contently and holding onto Alex.

* * *

Abbie saw the cuts on Olivia's lip and forehead the next morning outside Dr. Olivet's room. Smirking, she asked, "Did you and Alex get into a fight last night?"

Alex glared at her. "No, we did not. Olivia's face is not your concern anyway."

Abbie ignored her. "So how did you get that lovely gash on the side of your forehead, Liv?"

"_Olivia_," Olivia said through gritted teeth. "And none of your damn business."

"Star light, star bright, who got their ass beat last night?" Abbie taunted.

Olivia let out an animalistic growl and lunged at Abbie but Elliot grabbed her before she could do any damage. "Whoa, whoa, Liv, just calm down," he said, holding her by the arm cautiously. "She's not worth getting suspended."

"Get off me, El!" Olivia yelled, trying to free herself.

"You'll live to regret this, Abbie," Alex vowed, taking a menacing step closer to her.

Dr. Olivet came out into the hall. "Excuse me, but is there a problem here?"

Alex stared Abbie down for a few seconds longer before turning to Dr. Olivet and answering, "No, ma'am."

"If you girls cannot behave yourselves, then don't even bother coming into my classroom. Just go to the office and I'll send a student with your write-up slips. I will not stand for this immature feuding in my classroom today."

"We're fine," Olivia grumbled.

"Good. Now get inside before the bell rings," Dr. Olivet ordered.

"Think about what I said, Liv," Elliot said, giving her a sympathetic pat on the back before running down the hall to get to class.

Alex flashed Olivia a smile and whispered, "Don't worry about her. If she says anything else to you, I'll go after her."

"Not if I get her first," Olivia muttered, following Alex inside the classroom.

* * *

When they walked into Alex's house that afternoon, Madeline was waiting for them in the living room. "Girls, I need to have a word with you."

Alex and Olivia looked at each other nervously. Alex slowly turned to her mother and asked, "What's going on?"

Madeline gestured toward the sofa across from her. The girls took a seat and tried to calm their nerves. Madeline looked directly at Olivia. "Olivia, your mother came by about an hour ago. She expressed numerous concerns about your behavior and your presence here. She wants you to return home."

"What?" Olivia asked, trying to contain her anger.

"No!" Alex yelled.

"Alexandra, I am not Olivia's mother. If her mother demands that she come home, I have no authority to object." She turned to Olivia again. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. My hands are tied."

"Untie them then, Mom!" Alex protested, jumping up off the sofa. "You can't do this!" She wildly gestured at the cuts on Olivia's face. "Look at what she did to her last night! If you force Olivia to go back there, she'll just hurt her again! She's a drunk! The only legitimate concern she has is that she won't have a punching bag if Liv's not there!"

"Alexandra, please," Madeline replied.

"Mom, you and dad know people! You can say that you have proof that Olivia's mom is an alcoholic who abuses her and that it's not a safe environment."

"Do you want Olivia to spend the night in a shelter? Do you want her to end up in foster care?" Madeline queried.

"Use our connections with the DA's office to make sure that doesn't happen! See if you can get temporary guardianship!"

"Alexandra, you don't understand," Madeline began.

"Yes, I do! If anyone here is gonna help Liv, it'll have to be me! I'm calling Uncle Bill right now!" Alex retorted, storming over to the phone. She dialed the number and said, "Judge Harriman, please."

"Alexandra, just wait a minute," Madeline ordered, quickly walking over to her. "You could end up doing more damage than good. I need time to decide an appropriate course of action and I need to do it alone."

Alex put the receiver down. "Fine, but just remember that Olivia's life and future are at stake."

Her mother frowned at her. "Lose that belligerent tone, young lady. I am well aware of the seriousness of the situation. Now you and Olivia go upstairs and let me handle things."

Olivia paced back and forth across Alex's room. "I need to face it. I have to go back home."

"No, baby," Alex said, crossing over to her. "You won't. Maybe you can get emancipated."

Olivia took a seat on the edge of Alex's bed. "Yeah, but how would I be able to support myself? I could get a part-time job but that won't cover rent and food…and even if it would, I'd have to give up sports because I'd have no time to practice or compete. Or even worse, I'd have to drop out of school entirely to support myself and just end up getting my GED."

"Liv, you can stay here," Alex said, taking her hands into her own.

Olivia looked into her eyes. "But for how long? Until your mom gets tired of me? Until your dad finds out about us? I'd have two options—wing it out on the streets or go back home."

"Well if it came down to that, I'd give you money. I'd pay all your bills and your rent so you wouldn't have to give up the things you love."

Olivia shook her head. "I can't ask you to do that, sweetie. That's too generous and you are not my meal ticket. Besides, it's not like your parents can't take away your credit cards and deny you access to your bank accounts."

"Well, my grandfather set up a trust for me before he died. My parents aren't allowed to touch it."

"And neither are you until you're 18."

Alex smiled slyly. "My grandfather gave permission for me to access it at 16. And guess who just had a birthday?"

"I still don't want you doing that," Olivia said.

"I'm just saying that we do have a way out if things get rough. Ok?"

"This is my problem, Alex."

Alex shook her head. "No. This is _our_ problem. And we'll get through it together."

Olivia smiled for the first time since they'd come home. She pulled Alex into a deep hug. "Thanks for standing by me."

Several moments later, Madeline walked in. "Well, I tried to talk amicably with Serena…and it didn't work."

"What happened?" Olivia asked, terrified.

Madeline turned to her. "I ended up giving her an ultimatum. I told her that the emotional and physical abuse is enough to have you removed from her custody and that if she goes to court, she will most definitely lose. She accused me of trying to force her hand with my money and influence in the community. But she reluctantly agreed to let you stay here until she at least has been going to AA on a regular basis."

Olivia shook her head. "She's been in AA before. Things are all right for a little while and then she's back to the same ol' person."

Alex hugged Olivia. "This is good news, baby! Be happy!"

"You didn't mention that Alex and I were dating, did you?" Olivia asked nervously.

"No, I did not," Madeline answered. "But she said that if I was smart, I'd keep my eye on you two because there may be something more than friendship going on. I told her I resented the implication she was making."

Alex put her hand to her chest and sighed in relief. "Thanks for covering for us, Mom."

Madeline looked at her and pursed her lips. "You haven't been affectionate around her, have you?"

"No, Mom! Of course not."

"Good," Madeline replied. "Now you kids behave yourselves." As she was taking her leave, she looked over her shoulder and said, "And remember, Olivia. You are to sleep in the other room."

Alex jumped up and ran to her mother's side. "Mom…Liv has been through so much in the past day. She may have nightmares or something. Can't she just spend the night here in my room like old times? Pretty please?" she asked, standing on her tiptoes.

Madeline sighed. "All right. But this will not be a regular thing. And I trust that you two will have enough respect for me in my house to not engage in certain activities."

Olivia smiled. "We promise, Madeline." She gave her a hug. "Thanks so much for everything."

"You're welcome, dear. And before I forget," Madeline began. She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. "Here's the number for Alateen. You might also want to look into talking to a counselor at school."

Olivia took the piece of paper from her. "Thank you."

After Madeline left, Alex said, "If you want, I can go with you to an Alateen meeting."

"I'd like that a lot. I'm a little nervous about going, though, I'll admit. I don't know what to expect."

"Well, whenever you're ready, we'll go. No rush, ok?" Alex said, rubbing her gently on the back.

"Ok." She pulled her into a hug again. "God, Alex. I'm so glad I have you. You've changed my life so much."

Wrapping her arms tighter around her, Alex let out a happy sigh and replied, "And you've changed mine."


	52. Locked and Loaded

**Chapter 52: Locked and Loaded**

Olivia rolled her eyes as Alex struggled to shut another suitcase. "Alex, Spring Break is only one week long. You've packed enough suitcases for a whole month!"

"Everything I'm taking is very important!" Grunting, Alex sat on her suitcase to try to force it closed. "Liv, can you close this for me?"

Olivia rolled her eyes again, walked over, and closed the suitcase with little effort at all. "Ok. Now you aren't allowed to pack anything else. We need to get outta here."

"I need to double check to make sure I'm not forgetting anything! Besides, it's not like the beach is going anywhere!"

Olivia fell back against Alex's bed and let out an exasperated sigh. "Come on, sweetie, we need to pick up Serena and Casey at least sometime this year."

"Oh, yeah! Speaking of which, do you think we'll have enough room for everyone's stuff in the convertible or should I take the Range Rover?"

"Hell, with all this stuff, we might as well take both," Olivia muttered.

"Liv…I'm serious!"

"So am I!" Olivia replied, sitting up again. "Let's just take the Range Rover."

"Ok," Alex said. "Can you go get Sam and tell him to load our stuff?"

"Sweetie, we can load our own stuff. Give the poor guy a break."

Alex frowned. "Liv, you act like I work him to death! He's our driver for a reason!"

"Don't be so lazy," Olivia said, throwing the strap to her duffle bag over her shoulder and picking up two of Alex's suitcases. "Man, you have no clue how much I hate Louis Vuitton right now."

"Liv, let me get one of those!" Alex said, taking one out of her hand.

Olivia swung open the door to Alex's bedroom. "Well, I guess I will have an easier time getting down the stairs since I'm 50 lbs. lighter."

"Oh, stop exaggerating!" Alex said, following her out the door and down the large spiral staircase. "None of my bags are that heavy."

When they got to the garage, Olivia waited for Alex to press the key remote to open up the trunk. Alex slapped her hand to her forehead and exclaimed, "Shit! I forgot the keys!"

"Alex!" Olivia shouted.

"Sorry, sorry! Geez, aren't I allowed to forget stuff sometimes?" Alex asked, getting angry.

"These bags are fucking heavy!"

"Well, put them down!" Alex snapped, storming back into the house to get her keys.

"Is everything all right, Alexandra?" Madeline asked as Alex walked past her.

"Fine," Alex muttered without stopping.

A couple minutes later, Alex returned with her keys and her laptop bag. "Do you have your charger?" Olivia asked.

Alex popped the trunk and snapped, "Yes, Olivia. Maybe you need to remind me to breathe, why don't you?"

Olivia glared at her. "Don't get pissy with me, Alex. It's not my damn fault you forgot your keys."

"Well, I have them now so just drop it!" Alex yelled.

Olivia clenched her jaw and silently loaded the bags she had into the trunk. Alex went back upstairs to get the rest of her things.

After saying goodbye to Madeline and John, the girls got in Alex's SUV and backed out of the garage. As they drove down the driveway, Alex spared a glance at Olivia, who had busied herself looking out the window at the scenery. "Liv…" Alex began.

"Just don't," Olivia snapped.

"Fine, Liv. If you wanna act like a baby all the way…"

Olivia jerked her head around to face her. "_I'm _acting like the baby here? You're the one who always whines and moans when you can't get your little way!"

"I do not!" Alex retorted, her cheeks flushing red.

"Oh, please! You think everyone is here to cater to your—"

Luckily, Alex's cell phone started ringing before they could wring each other's necks. "Yeah," Alex growled into the phone.

"Well, damn! Don't sound so happy, babe. Where are you guys?" Serena asked.

"We're on our way now," Alex replied.

"You already made the reservations at the hotel, right?" Serena continued.

"Yes, Serena! Geez, will everyone just lay off me today?" Alex snapped. Olivia just stared at her. Alex pretended not to notice.

"Um…ok," Serena said. She put her hand over the mouthpiece and whispered to Casey, "Someone pissed in Alex's cornflakes this morning." Casey stifled a giggle. Serena put the phone back to her ear and continued, "Well…I guess I'll let you go. See you in a few minutes."

Alex snapped the phone shut without even saying goodbye. Olivia folded her arms and said, "You know…just because you're mad at me doesn't mean you have to take it out on everyone else."

Alex clenched her jaw. "You know what, Liv? You win the award for most annoying girlfriend ever!"

"And you win the award for most uptight, self-righteous—"

"Enough, Liv!" Alex screamed.

"You can dish it out but can't take it, huh?" Olivia continued.

"You are on very thin ice, Olivia Benson!" Alex warned, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles were white.

"Or what? You're gonna throw me out the car?"

Alex gritted her teeth. "Fuck you."

"Fuck you!" Olivia retorted.

They spent the rest of the ride in silence until they arrived at Serena's house. Alex honked her horn twice for them to come out and let down her window. "Thank God we're here," Olivia muttered under her breath.

Serena's little brother followed her and Casey out. He made kissing noises behind them and started singing, "Serena and Casey, sittin' in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g!"

Serena turned around and punched him in the arm. "Go away, you little brat!"

"Ow!" he said, holding his arm where she'd hit him. "Just for that, I'm gonna tell Mom and Dad that you and Casey were making out!"

"Do it and I'll smash your precious Xbox and burn all your games!" Serena threatened.

"At least she doesn't put soap on his toothbrush anymore," Alex muttered.

For the first time since she had been in the car, Olivia smiled.

"You wouldn't dare!" her brother responded in horror.

"Try me," Serena said, shoving him a few steps back. Scowling, her brother stalked back into the house.

"Poor Stephen," Alex said, shaking her head.

"Are you kidding? Poor us! He wouldn't leave us alone!" Serena protested.

"And he wouldn't stop trying to tackle me. I think he has a crush," Casey said with a groan.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Knowing him, he probably does. I really wish I had a little sister instead."

"Who's to say she wouldn't have a crush on Casey?" Olivia said with a wink.

Serena laughed. "Yeah, that's true. But I'm sure she wouldn't be as annoying."

Serena and Casey loaded their things in the trunk and then got in back. "So where to now?" Casey asked.

"Well, I thought we could stop by the store and get some snacks and stuff," Alex replied, hitting the gas.

"Cool," Serena said. "I have a craving for some Oreos."

"You just wanna lick the crème out the middle," Olivia remarked.

Everyone in the car laughed. "Oh, please, Liv! You're one to talk!" Serena replied. "So tell us. How many licks does it take to get to the center of Alex's Tootsie Roll Pop?"

"Serena!" Alex shouted, frowning at her through her rearview mirror.

"I plead the fifth!" Olivia exclaimed.

"You better," Alex muttered.

"Can we watch a movie?" Casey asked.

"Sure," Alex replied. "There are six DVDs in the changer, so just cycle through them until you find one you wanna watch."

"Watch the center-mounted screen," Olivia pitched in. "I don't wanna feel anything vibrating on the back of my headrest."

"Oh, I'm sure you have enough things to vibrate already," Serena teased.

Olivia looked at Alex. "What did you tell her?"

Alex shrugged. "Nothing," she replied with a smile.

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight," Olivia said sarcastically.

"We can't change the DVDs?" Casey asked, looking at the ones in the console.

"No, because the stupid changer is in the cargo area," Olivia answered with a roll of her eyes. "The DVDs in it are the ones we put in a few days ago."

"What? Why would they put it all the way back there? Talk about an inconvenience," Casey remarked.

"Beats me," Alex said.

"Yeah, and in order to change them, we'd have to move everyone's stuff—including Alex's 100 bags," Olivia added.

"I do not have 100 bags!" Alex snapped.

Olivia turned around and grinned at Casey and Serena. "She's a little touchy about her luggage problem," she whispered.

"I can hear you, Olivia!" Alex informed her.

Casey and Serena exchanged glances. "Um…yeah. Let's just watch the movie," Serena suggested.

Alex pressed the voice command button and said, "Rear seat entertainment on."

"That's so cool!" Casey exclaimed as the roof-mounted dropdown screen appeared and the system started playing the first DVD.

Alex grinned. "I know."

"Oh, no, it's Looney Tunes!" Serena said in dismay.

Alex rolled her eyes. She picked up the remote and held it over her shoulder. "Here, you can change it."

Serena took it from her hand and said, "Thanks. Liv, why'd you ever have to get her the DVD set for her birthday?"

Olivia snorted. "Sometimes I ask myself the same question."

Alex patted baby Tweety on the top of his head. "It's ok. I still love you."

"Only Alex would put Tweety on her dashboard," Serena remarked. She cycled through the DVDs.

"I'm surprised you don't have anything X-rated in here," Casey joked.

"How do you know they aren't in my bags?" Alex teased back.

"You'll never find them in all the stuff Alex packed," Olivia chimed in.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Not this again."

"I hope it doesn't rain," Casey said, quickly changing the subject.

"Yeah, that would be a real bummer," Serena agreed. "But making out in the rain is fun."

"If Olivia keeps annoying me, making out will be a distant memory for her," Alex announced. "And so will anything else."

Olivia pressed the voice command button and said loudly, "Stick out of Alex's ass."

Casey and Serena couldn't help but laugh even though they tried their hardest not to. Alex, however, was not amused in the slightest. "That command doesn't work because I only have it programmed for your name!" she retorted.

"This is going to be_ one_ interesting trip," Casey said.

"You're tellin' me," Serena agreed.


	53. Hot and Cold

**Chapter 53: Hot and Cold**

Two hours later, they arrived at the hotel. The bellman came to help them with their bags. They checked in at the front desk and rode the elevator up to their floor. Alex slid her key card in the door and opened it up.

"I'm a little worried that we have rooms side-by-side. Does that mean we're gonna have to listen to you guys fucking all night?" Casey teased.

"According to Stephen, we might have to listen to _you_ fucking all night," Alex responded with a grin.

After they tipped the bellman, they all gathered in Alex and Olivia's room. Alex looked at her watch and said, "It's almost 7. You guys wanna head out and get dinner?"

"Sounds like a plan," Casey said. "Where ya wanna go?"

Alex looked at Olivia. "Where do you wanna eat, Liv?"

Olivia shrugged. "Anywhere that isn't 30 dollars a plate."

Serena smirked. "How about Outback?"

"Close enough," Olivia muttered under her breath.

"Don't worry, Liv. I have—" Alex began.

Olivia cut her off. "Alex, I have enough. It's fine." She stood up and headed for the door.

Alex sighed and grabbed her purse. "This is gonna be a long night."

* * *

"Hi, welcome to Outback. My name is Jenny and I'll be your waitress tonight. What I can get you to drink?"

"I'd like a cherry limeade," Alex said.

"Strawberry lemonade," Serena ordered.

"I'll have the same," Casey added.

"Can I get the Rum Berry Cooler and a glass of water?" Olivia asked.

"Sure. May I see your ID, please?" Jenny asked.

Olivia pulled her fake ID out of her wallet and handed it over. The waitress briefly looked at it and then nodded. "Ok. Would you girls like any of our appetizers?"

Alex looked at them and they shook their heads. "No, thank you," she answered.

"Ok. I'll be back with your drinks shortly," Jenny said.

"Wow, Liv! I can't believe she didn't even give it a second look!" Casey whispered after she left.

Olivia smiled. "I can. Works every time."

"You think you can get us fakes sometime over the break?" Serena asked.

"Sure," Olivia shrugged.

The waitress returned with their drinks. "Are you ready to order your entrées or do you need more time to look at the menu?" she asked.

Serena looked up from her menu. "We need a few."

"Ok," Jenny said with a smile. "I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes." Her eyes lingered on Olivia before she walked off. _Wow, she's gorgeous_, she thought. Jenny had always had good gaydar, and Olivia pinged to high heaven. _I wonder if she's with the hot blonde chick beside her?_

Alex and Serena missed the look, but Casey and Olivia didn't. Olivia just decided to brush it off.

"Can I taste it?" Alex asked.

"Sure," Olivia said, pushing her drink toward her.

Alex took a long sip. "Delicious!"

"You want one?" Olivia asked.

Alex nodded excitedly. "Yes, please." She looked at the drink menu. "The Sour Apple Martini looks good."

When the waitress returned, Olivia said, "Can I get a Sour Apple Martini?"

The waitress wrote it down on her pad. "Sure." She looked at the rest of them. "May I take your orders now?"

Alex looked around the table at everyone and asked, "You guys know what you want?"

"Yeah," Olivia and Casey said in unison. Serena just nodded.

After they had all placed their orders and the waitress walked off, Alex took another sip of Olivia's drink. Olivia frowned. "Geez, Al, don't drink it all. Yours is coming."

Hurt, Alex pushed her glass away. "Sorry, Liv."

Serena and Casey exchanged worried glances. "Um…are you guys ok?" Casey asked.

"Just peachy," Olivia said quickly.

Jenny returned with the martini a couple minutes later and asked, "May I get you girls anything else while you wait?"

"No, we're good," Olivia said.

Alex took a sip of her drink and said, "Mmm. This is _so_ good!" She offered it to Olivia. "Want some?"

Olivia took a few sips and said, "I agree; that is pretty good. I like the tartness. Maybe next time I'll have to get it."

As they waited on their food, Serena asked, "So…what are we gonna do first tomorrow?"

"Eat breakfast," Alex answered. Everyone laughed.

"I dunno…maybe we can go for an early morning swim. I wanna hit the beach before it gets too crowded," Olivia said. "And maybe I can catch some good waves."

Alex smiled. "I can't wait to learn how to surf."

"Alex on a surfboard? Oh, this I can't _wait_ to see," Casey said, folding her arms.

"I'll be right there with the videocam!" Serena announced.

"Whatever, you guys," Alex said with a wave of her hand. "I will _kick ass_ tomorrow. Just you watch."

"You'll probably be too busy making out with Liv in the water," Serena teased.

"Liv's still on probation, remember?" Casey said with a grin.

Serena let out a laugh. "Oh, that's right. Sorry, I forgot."

"Please! Alex couldn't hold out on me if she tried!" Olivia said with a smug smile.

Alex folded her arms and looked at her. "Try me."

Olivia picked the cherry out of Alex's limeade and seductively ran it around her lips before slowly pulling the fruit off the stem. Holding the cherry between her teeth, she held Alex's chin and leaned in. Alex tried to resist, but she lost all resolve when Olivia began rolling the cherry around on her tongue. As was to be expected, Alex parted her lips and with a sensual kiss, Olivia expertly rolled the cherry off her tongue onto Alex's.

Their playfulness did not go unnoticed by Jenny. _I wonder what other tricks she can do with her tongue_? she thought, smiling to herself.

Serena and Casey clapped. "Ok, that was pretty hot, Liv," Serena complimented her.

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "I know."

Alex blushed deeply. "You totally wooed me."

"And you loved every bit of it," Olivia responded.

Alex smiled. "That's not the point."

Several minutes later, Jenny returned with their entrées and refilled their drinks. "I hope you girls enjoy your meal," she said, leaving to go to another table.

"Liv, can I have a bite of your burger?" Alex asked. "You can have some of my steak."

"Ok." Olivia held out her Hickory burger for Alex to take a bite.

Alex wiped her mouth and said, "Mmm…that's good. The bacon is so tender."

Olivia cut into the steak and took a bite. "Really juicy."

"You can have some more if you want," Alex told her.

Olivia shook her head and held up a hand. "No, I'm good."

"By the time I finish eating this, I'm sure I won't have any room for dessert," Alex said, digging into her baked potato.

Olivia smirked. "That's a first."

"After that kiss, I'm sure Liv will be Alex's dessert," Casey joked.

"And she'll probably ask for seconds," Serena pitched in.

"Elliot and Kathy are_so_ missing out!" Casey added.

Olivia laughed. "We should call them from the beach and rub it in their faces."

After the waitress brought them the check, Alex pulled out one of her credit cards. "Don't worry, guys. I got it."

"We can split it," Serena said. "I'll pay for mine and Casey's and you can pay for yours and Liv's."

Casey gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, "You're so sweet." Serena just blushed.

"No, I'll pay for mine and Alex's," Olivia announced.

"No, babe. I'll pay for ours," Alex insisted, putting her card on the table. She looked across the table at Serena and Casey. "We can just put it all on my credit card and you can pay me."

"Ok," Serena agreed, sliding her money across the table to Alex.

"Alex, I'm tired of you flashing your money around whenever you get the chance," Olivia snapped.

Alex didn't even try to hide the hurt etched into her face. "Liv, I wasn't—"

"Whatever, Alex," Olivia interrupted. She threw some cash on the table. "That should be enough for both of ours, including tip. Put your credit card up."

Blinking back tears, Alex took back her credit card and put it in her wallet. "You don't have to be so defensive, Liv," she said quietly.

"Shut up, Alex!" Olivia snapped.

Serena decided to come to Alex's defense. "Liv, I don't think Alex meant to offend you. She just wanted to do something nice by paying for your meal."

"Stay outta this, Serena," Olivia demanded, glaring at her.

Serena frowned. "What's your problem, Liv?"

Casey looked from Serena to Olivia and said, "Girls…let's play nice."

"Whatever, let's just get outta here. I'm tired anyway," Olivia said, sliding out of the booth.

Alex rushed to catch up to her while Serena and Casey hung back a few paces. "Liv, why'd you have to embarrass me in front of our friends?" she whispered.

Olivia stopped in her tracks and turned to face her. "I embarrassed _you_? You never think about how embarrassing for me it is to have you always paying for shit!"

"Liv, I do it outta love!"

"Then let me do somethin' outta love, too sometimes! There are two people in this relationship!" Olivia retorted, walking off again.

Alex unlocked her SUV and silently got in. Once Serena and Casey were buckled in, she asked, "Anywhere else you guys wanna go tonight? It's just a little after 9."

"Nah. We're good to go," Casey said.

Once they were back in the hotel, Alex asked, "You guys wanna hang out for a bit?"

"Nah, Casey and I are just gonna chill. But thanks for the offer," Serena declined.

"You guys probably have some stuff you need to discuss anyway," Casey added.

"I'm too tired to argue," Olivia said, sliding her card in the door and going in the room.

Alex rolled her eyes and looked at Serena and Casey. "Funny, she wasn't too tired to argue with me earlier."

"If you need to talk, just knock, ok?" Serena said, giving Alex a hug.

"Ok," Alex replied. "Goodnight."

"Night," Serena and Casey said in unison.

Alex was apprehensive about entering the room. She didn't want to get into another pointless argument with Olivia, but she didn't want to go to bed with so much tension left in the air either.

Olivia plopped down on the bed and started surfing through channels. Alex cautiously sat down beside her but Olivia didn't even acknowledge her presence. She slowly edged closer to her and tried to wrap her arms around her waist but Olivia immediately pushed her hands away.

"Liv, come on…" she coaxed. "Don't be like this."

"Leave me alone, Alex," Olivia ordered. "I just wanna watch TV in peace."

"I just wanna cuddle," Alex said, trying to lay her head on Olivia's shoulder.

Olivia pushed her away again. "Knock it off!"

"Can't we just talk, baby?" Alex pleaded. "I don't understand what's wrong."

Olivia turned to face her. "Alex, seriously. I don't wanna talk right now."

"But we need to. You've been running hot and cold toward me all day. One minute you'll be kissing me and joking around with me and the next you'll be yelling at me."

Olivia focused her attention on the TV again and said nothing. Groaning, Alex got out of bed and went to shower.

When she returned 20 minutes later, Olivia had turned the TV off and was on her side feigning sleep. Alex rolled her eyes and silently got in beside her. _I hope Liv's in a better mood tomorrow_, she thought. She fluffed her pillow and tried to get comfortable. She started to wrap her arms around Olivia, but after Olivia's behavior earlier, she sadly decided against it. She turned her back to Olivia and willed sleep to quickly overtake her.

* * *

_Crunch, crunch, crunch._

Olivia opened her eyes and blinked in confusion. _What the fuck is that? _she wondered.

_Crunch, crunch, crunch._

She tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes and slowly turned over on her side. Like a deer caught in headlights, Alex stared at her with a chip midway to her mouth. "What?" she asked around her mouthful.

"Shit, Alex, do you mind? It's 3 AM and some of us are trying to get some sleep. Can't you go eat loudly somewhere else?"

"Just where do you want me to fucking go, Liv?" Alex asked angrily.

"How about the couch or maybe the bathroom?"

"I have as much right to eat here—"

Olivia sat up. "Why? Because you paid for it?" she said nastily.

Alex was taken aback at her anger. "Liv, that's not what I meant and you know it. This is _our_ room and we both have a right to enjoy it, but you're making that hard for me!"

"Well, I certainly can't enjoy sleeping with your loud-ass chewing!"

Alex threw the bag of Doritos on the floor. "Fine, Liv! Maybe I will just hold my breath 'til I pass out because I'm afraid it will interfere with your peaceful sleep! Is that what you want?"

"I want you to have some respect for me!" Olivia yelled.

"It's not like I started eating with the idea in mind, 'Geez, how can I wake Olivia up?' I woke up and was just hungry!" Alex protested. "And it's not like you've had any respect for me all day! You've been constantly nagging and bitching at me for no good reason!"

"Oh, I had plenty of good reasons!"

"No, you didn't! First it was because of my luggage, then because I forgot my keys, then you had to pitch a fit at dinner, now it's because of my eating! Is there something else you'd like to tell me?"

"Yes, shut the fuck up!" Olivia ordered, turning back over on her side and pulling up the covers again.

"Fucking bitch," Alex muttered under her breath before she could stop herself.

Olivia jerked back around with lightning speed. "What did you call me?"

Defiance flashed in Alex's cerulean eyes. "I said you're a fucking bitch!" Alex repeated boldly.

They stared each other down for several seconds. Both their hearts raced anxiously for who was going to say the next harsh word and when. Finally, Olivia broke the silence and declared, "I'm sleeping on the couch."

"This bed is big enough for the both of us."

"Apparently not! Maybe I can tune out your smacking from across the room so I can get some sleep!"

"It was not that loud and you know it! Why are you being so mean to me all of a sudden? Things were just fine yesterday!"

"Oh, that's right. Whenever you can't get your way, you say I'm being mean."

"Well, you are! It has nothing to do with me trying to get my way and you know it!"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Oh god, Alex…I hate when you add that pretentious little 'and you know it' like you're always right and I just refuse to admit it!"

"Kiss my ass, Liv," Alex said, turning over on her side and staring at the nightstand.

"Your head stuck up it is kinda obstructing my view!"

"Liv, why do you insist on hurting my feelings?" Alex asked, jerking back around to face her. "What the fuck did I do to you?"

"You annoy the hell outta me!"

Scowling, Alex turned back over on her side. "Well, if I'm so annoying, then why are you still with me? Why don't we just call it quits so you can go be a raging asshole to someone else?"

"Alex, you're gonna make me say something I may _really_ regret later if you don't be quiet in about two seconds," Olivia warned.

"You know what, I don't have to stay here and take this shit," Alex said, throwing back the covers and storming to the bathroom. Olivia flinched as the door slammed loudly. Alex sat down on the floor with her back against the door and just burst into the tears that she'd been trying for so long to hold back.

Olivia tossed and turned for several minutes, trying to tune out the sound of Alex's crying. The harder she tried, the more she failed. The sound of it was like a knife grinding in her stomach, punishing her for being so cruel to the one she loved. _Shit, I hate making her cry_, she thought. _Why do I keep fucking up?_ She wished she could take back all the harsh things she'd said to her throughout the day and night. A sour taste hit the back of her throat.

She got out of bed, crossed the room, and tried to turn the knob but it was locked. She tapped lightly on the door. "Alex…"

"Go away!" Alex yelled before bursting into a new fit of tears.

Hearing Alex in so much pain caused her own tears to start falling. "Baby, please."

"Don't you dare call me that!"

"Sweetie, I'm sorry for taking my anger out on you."

"Sorry doesn't cut it this time. Every time you say you're sorry, you do something else to hurt me and I'm tired of it!"

"Alex…I've been so stressed lately—"

"Stop making excuses! I'm tired of you taking your shit out on me just because you can't cope with stuff going on in your life. How many times do we have to have this conversation before you finally get it?"

"Alex, please don't shut me out," Olivia begged.

"You mean the same way you shut me out all of today?" Alex asked, looking over her shoulder at the door as if Olivia could see her. "What was it you said to me? 'You can dish it out but can't take it, huh'? So how does it feel?"

"Alex, I feel like shit for what I did to you, ok?" She pressed her hands against the door and sobbed against it. "But please just forgive me, ok?"

"No, not ok!" Alex screamed defiantly.

"Alex, I need you…" Olivia said, sliding down to the floor in a broken heap of defeat. "I can't stand to lose you."

"You should've thought about that before you said all those things!"

"Baby…we've been through worse!"

"It doesn't matter!"

"I let my insecurities get the best of me this time. I'm sorry," Olivia repeated helplessly. She pressed her body against the door, wishing she could transcend it and feel Alex instead.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"I just feel so inadequate next to you that I can't help but get jealous sometimes."

Alex creased her brow. "But why? I've told you that whatever I have, you're welcome to it. We're equals."

"It's just hard dealing with someone who has so much when you have so little," Olivia cried. "You have two great parents who don't drink or hit you, you get showered with all these nice things all the time…I hate feeling that if you left me, I'd have nothing but you'd still have everything."

Alex stood up, unlocked the door, knelt down on the carpet, and pulled Olivia into her arms. "That's not true, baby," Alex said, rubbing a hand over her hair soothingly. "If we broke up, I'd have nothing either. Material things wouldn't matter because I'd be so miserable. And having Mom and Dad wouldn't be a comfort either because they're not the love of my life—you are."

Olivia's body continued to wrack with sobs against Alex. "I'm so sorry to keep dragging you down into my mess."

Alex kissed her forehead. "Your mess is my mess, ok? I told you that we're in this together."

"And I hate not having enough money," Olivia continued. "It makes me feel bad when you have to pay for this and you have to pay for that. That's why I made such a big deal about paying for dinner."

"Liv, I'm sorry if I made you feel bad; that was never my intention. But someone's worth isn't determined by how much money they have. You'd love me if I didn't have a dime, wouldn't you?"

Olivia wiped her eyes. "You know I would."

"Then I love you regardless of how much money you have. You don't need to feel jealous or inadequate. It makes me feel nice that I can give you things you've never had but that you so rightly deserve. Besides, your feelings aren't just one-sided. There are so many qualities that you have that I wish I did."

"Like what?" Olivia asked, wiping her nose on the back of her hand.

Alex grabbed some tissues and started wiping Olivia's face. "For instance, you're better at sports than I am, you're stronger, you can run faster, you can tackle annoying guys and kick their asses…"

Sniffling, Olivia pressed her forehead against Alex's and smiled. "But you're more elegant and you can do all those little flips and stuff that I'd probably break my neck trying."

"You're so street smart, too…you've taught me so many things that I never would've dreamed of knowing."

"I never would've known which fork to eat with at fancy dinners if it hadn't been for you. And you taught me how to ride a horse."

"You taught me how to shoot a basketball!" Alex said.

"You make better grades."

"Not all the time! And when I do, it's only because I study so much. When you study, there are plenty of times you've kicked my ass on tests. Plus, you have a nicer body…it's so curvy and sexy."

"You have a nicer ass."

"No, I don't!" Alex protested.

"Do, too!" Olivia said, rubbing her nose against hers and leaning in to kiss her softly on the lips. She picked up a fresh tissue and wiped Alex's face.

After giving each other a tight hug, they stood up and walked back over to the bed. Olivia picked up Alex's bag of chips and put them in her lap. "You didn't finish."

Alex smiled at her and put the chips on the nightstand. "Eh, it's the middle of the night. I might as well just wait for breakfast."

Olivia brushed her cheek. "Baby, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable eating around me."

"Don't worry, you'll get a full show watching me attack my pancakes at breakfast," Alex promised.

Olivia cuddled up to her and rubbed her stomach. "Your tummy's so smooth."

"Well, so are your hands," Alex said with a giggle.

Olivia captured Alex's lips in a tender kiss that made butterflies flutter in both their stomachs. Alex returned the kiss and let her hand linger on the back of Olivia's warm neck. When the kiss ended, Alex sighed deeply and said, "Thank you."

"For what?" Olivia asked, brushing some hair back from Alex's face.

"For being the Olivia who makes my heart skip a beat again."

Olivia kissed her on the nose and said, "I'm sorry for not being that way all the time."

"Your flaws are what make you who you are. It's just that some of them are a little bit painful and I'd rather see them directed at others. I like to experience this warm, fuzzy side of you more."

Olivia smiled at her. "I know," she said softly. She wrapped her arms around Alex and placed her head on her shoulder. "You ready to surf tomorrow?"

"You betcha," Alex said, stifling a yawn.

"I'm sure you'll be great."

"Yeah…" Alex trailed off, closing her eyes.

Olivia pulled the covers up over them and continued to gently stroke her stomach as she watched her girlfriend drift off to sleep. "I love you," she whispered in the darkness, thinking Alex was already asleep.

To her surprise, Alex responded, "I love you, too."


	54. Surf's Up

**Chapter 54: Surf's Up**

Alex stood back and admired Olivia in her green camouflage bikini. The firm, bouncy chest, the chiseled stomach, the strong, muscular thighs, the tight, rounded ass…she licked her lips. _Could I have a hotter girlfriend?_ she wondered. "Forget about riding the waves, how about I just ride you?"

Laughing, Olivia finished tying her bikini top at the back of her neck. "Like what ya see?"

Alex nodded. "Hell yeah!" She let the fingers of one hand dance across Olivia's chest, making her nipples immediately perk. Then she leaned down and ran her tongue between her cleavage.

A small shudder coursed through Olivia's body. "If you keep that up, I don't know if we'll ever be able to leave this hotel room."

Alex grinned. "Oh, what torture!" she said sarcastically. She bent down and licked Olivia's cleavage again, eliciting the same response.

Casey and Serena walked into their hotel room at that moment and stopped dead in their tracks. "Well, this is awkward," Serena said.

"I think we just walked in on something rated NC-17," Casey mused.

Serena folded her arms and grinned. "I have to agree with ya there."

"So I take it you two got everything worked out from last night?" Casey asked hopefully.

Alex stood up straight again. Looking at Olivia and smiling, she brushed her fingers through her hair. "Yep."

"Good. Hey, I like those boy shorts, Liv," Serena said.

"Thanks," Olivia replied.

"I thought it was hard to surf in a bikini," Serena continued. "You guys aren't afraid that the waves will pull them off?"

"These are special surfing ones," Alex answered. She had an identical bikini to Olivia's, only her camouflage was blue, light pink, and magenta. "The boy shorts and tops are designed to handle aggressive waves."

Casey looked at Serena. "Alex and Liv just don't want wetsuits cramping their surf style."

Serena replied, "And if their tops do come off, I'm getting _everything_ on camera."

Olivia pulled her shirt and cargo shorts over her bikini. Smirking, Casey said, "Well, there goes Alex's peep show."

Alex turned to her and quipped, "Oh, I'll get another very soon, I'm sure."

"Do we have everything, babe?" Olivia asked, looking around the room.

"Yeah. Now let's get down to the beach!" Alex said, running out the door.

Olivia shook her head and laughed. "Someone's excited!"

When the four of them arrived at the beach, it was still early enough in the morning that it wasn't packed. The powder-soft white sand sparkled in the sunlight. They found a nice clear spot and spread out their beach towels and equipment.

"Liv, the umbrella's crooked!" Alex whined.

Olivia tickled her stomach and then peeled off her shirt and shorts. "Don't worry, kiddo. You'll be in the water so you won't have time to notice."

"I think the slant is kinda cute," Casey said, lying down on one of the lounge chairs under their umbrella. "Ooh, this is perfect. I won't fry to death under the hot sun."

"Speaking of which, we need to put sunscreen on each other," Alex told Olivia. She grabbed a bottle and got to work.

Serena stretched out on her towel. "Will Her Highness come down off her throne long enough to put some sunscreen on me?" she asked, grinning up at Casey.

Casey smiled at her and got up. She picked up the other bottle of sunscreen and started slowly and sensually working it into her girlfriend's back. "Anything for you, baby."

Olivia smiled down at them while rubbing sunscreen on Alex. "Well, while you two are giving each other massages, Alex and I are gonna go get our boards and hit the surf."

Serena looked back over her shoulder as Casey untied the back of her bikini so she could provide full coverage with the sunscreen. "Ok. When Casey's done with me, I'll be sure to watch Alex fall flat on her ass in the ocean!"

"Ha ha," Alex stated dryly, picking up a towel and slapping Serena's ass with it. "You won't be saying that when I dominate the waves!"

Serena and Casey both burst into laughter. "Liv, maybe. You? No!" Serena replied.

"Oh, ye of little faith," Alex retorted dryly. "At least Liv believes in me."

Olivia burst out laughing herself. Alex turned to her and frowned. "Hey, you're supposed to be on _my_ side!"

Olivia shook her head. "I'm sorry, babe. I do have faith in you. It's just the way you said it."

"Right!" Alex said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed a thin scrunchie and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. After giving Serena her digital camcorder, she told Olivia, "Let's just go rent the surfboards already."

They went to the surfboard rental. "May I help you ladies?" the vendor asked.

"Yeah, we'd like to rent a couple boards," Olivia answered.

"Ok," he said. "For how long do you wanna rent 'em?"

"All day," Olivia replied.

"Fiberglass or soft?"

"Soft," Olivia answered.

"Alrighty then. That will be 32.10," the vendor said.

Olivia pulled her wallet out of her pocket and paid him. He walked from behind the counter over to the surfboards and explained the specifics of the ones in their category. Alex asked him, "Can I get the pink one?"

He smiled at her. "Sure."

Olivia said, "I'll have the yellow foamie."

The vendor grinned. "Down with the lingo and everything, huh?"

Olivia shrugged. "I've surfed before."

The vendor nodded and gave them both their boards. "Be careful out there and have fun."

"Think you can handle carrying it to the water?" Olivia teased.

Alex gave her a playful shove. "Liv, I'm strong enough to carry a surfboard!"

"Well, it's 8 feet in length. I just wanted to make sure."

They walked to the edge of the water. The ocean was a beautiful, transparent turquoise and it was hard to tell where it ended and the sky began. The sun high in the sky was warm on their backs. The air was fresh and revitalizing, and balmy breezes caressed their bodies and swayed the palm trees and flowers to and fro. Frothy waves lapped against the beach. Olivia stuck her foot in the water. "Ah, the temp's just right. But before we practice in the water, we need to practice on the sand first."

"Ok," Alex said. "What do I do first?"

"Put your board down on the sand and lie down on it. You need to center yourself. You already have really good balance from cheerleading and gymnastics, so this should be a piece of cake for you." She illustrated what to do for Alex.

Alex followed her lead. "Ok. Now what?"

"Grab the rails."

Alex looked at her in confusion. "Rails?"

"Yeah. That's the term for the edges of the board. Now cock your elbows back like you're gonna do a pushup."

Alex did as she was told. "Ok."

"Now we're gonna do what's called a pop-up. Go ahead and push your body up, but pop your feet quickly underneath you. Plant your lead foot on the center of the board so you're crouched." She illustrated a perfect pop-up for Alex.

Alex did her pop-up with ease. She smiled. "This is fun!"

Olivia smiled back. "That's great. Now lie on your stomach again and practice this a few more times."

Alex did several more pop-ups while Olivia stood and watched.

"Woohoo!" Casey shouted. "Dominate that sand, Alex!"

Alex turned around and flipped her off. "Let's see you try it!" she shouted back.

"Perfect, baby," Olivia complimented her. "Think you're ready for the water?"

Alex nodded excitedly as her heart started to pound in her chest. "I think so."

They grabbed their boards and waded out into the water. Once it was up to their chests, Olivia stopped and said, "Ok. I want you to get a feel for the rhythm of the waves. When you're ready, we'll get on our boards and start to paddle. Try keeping the nose of the board an inch or two above the water."

Alex stood in her spot for a couple minutes and watched the whitewater roll past. "All right. I'm ready."

They lay down on their boards and began to paddle. Olivia made sure that she didn't get ahead of Alex. Alex paid close attention to the movements of Olivia and mimicked them to the best of her abilities. The gentle rocking of the water remarkably soothed her first time jitters. She could taste the saltiness of the water as it splashed over her face.

"Now I want you to try paddling directly into a wave," Olivia said.

Alex nodded. "Got it." When Olivia began paddling harder and faster, so did she.

"Ok, here's one coming toward us! I don't want you to pop up just yet; I want you to paddle through this one as it breaks so you won't be intimidated by the water," Olivia told her.

Alex took a deep breath. With fierce determination, she paddled a little faster. As the wave drew closer, they braced themselves and pushed through it as it broke.

Olivia shook the water out of her face. "How'd that feel?"

Alex squeezed the water out of her ponytail and laughed. "Good!"

"You didn't swallow too much water, did you?" Olivia asked, concerned.

Alex shook her head. "Nah. The water feels refreshing! So what's next?"

"We can actually try catching a wave. When the whitewater reaches you, you'll feel yourself surge forward. That's when you'll stop paddling, grab the rails, and pop up. When you feel stable enough, let go of the rails," Olivia instructed.

Alex took a deep breath. "Ok."

Olivia sat on her board and looked out over the water. Alex sat down, too. "What are we doing, Liv?"

"Waiting on a nice set to come," Olivia answered. "You nervous?"

Alex nodded sheepishly. "A little."

Olivia flashed her an encouraging smile and gave her hand a squeeze. "Don't be. You've already done everything like a pro. You'll be fine."

"What if I fall?"

"Don't be afraid; it happens to everyone. Just cover your head with your hands and your ears with your wrists and stay underwater for a few seconds so your board doesn't hit you."

"Can I get hurt?" Alex asked, a sense of trepidation filling her. "I've heard horror stories about even the most experienced surfers falling and hitting their heads on rocks."

Olivia leaned in and gave her a reassuring kiss. "I won't let you," she vowed.

Alex smiled and felt her confidence return. She had complete trust that Olivia wouldn't let anything happen to her. "Thank you," she murmured.

A few minutes later, Olivia saw a good swell surfacing on the horizon and increasing in size as it quickly approached them. "Ok. Now for your first pop-up on the water. We're gonna turn our boards around and face the shore."

Alex did as she was told and looked at Olivia for further instruction. Olivia continued, "As the whitewater gets closer, I want you to start paddling. Remember everything I told you to do a few minutes ago?"

Alex nodded. "When the wave starts pushing you forward, stop paddling, grab the rails, pop up, and don't be afraid to fall," she recited from memory.

"Good. Ok, here it comes!" Olivia warned. As she felt the water under her board push her forward, she expertly popped up and rode it out.

Alex, however, was not so lucky. As soon as she tried to stand in a crouch, the wave knocked her into the ocean. She resurfaced after a couple seconds and grabbed onto her board.

"Don't give up!" Olivia said, paddling back toward Alex. "We'll keep doing it until you get it, ok?"

Alex nodded and spit out water. "Ok."

Olivia patted her on the back. "Hey, when I tried to stand up my first time, I fell down, too," she said with a smile.

Alex gave her a small smile back. "Really?"

"Really," Olivia affirmed. She started paddling farther out into the water and Alex followed her.

"We're not gonna go too far out, are we?" Alex asked apprehensively.

"No, babe. We'll be fine." A small set of waves rolled toward them that she just decided to let pass. "Damn ankle busters!"

"Huh?" Alex asked, looking at her in confusion.

Olivia smiled and explained, "Small waves."

Alex nodded. "Oh, right."

Within a few minutes, a nice set of waves could be seen in the distance. "Ok, take two," Olivia said.

Serena came to the edge of the water with the camcorder poised in the air. As the swell neared them, Alex and Olivia turned around to face the shoreline again and started paddling. When the wave started pushing them forward, they popped up on their boards. However, Alex stepped a little too far forward and ended up nosediving into the water.

Olivia rode her wave out and then paddled back to Alex. "That's ok, babe! Just stay centered so you won't pearl next time."

"Easier said than done," Alex grumbled.

Olivia rubbed her back and kissed her cheek. "Don't get discouraged, sweetie. You'll get it. I promise. For some people, it takes days to learn how to pop up properly. That was only your second try and you're already doing so great."

Alex smiled. "Thanks."

Olivia slapped her on the ass and said, "Come on. Let's get back out there, kiddo."

As the next wave approached, they paddled toward the shore again. When the whitewater propelled them forward, they popped up once more. Balancing herself, Alex put her lead foot in front and was able to ride the wave for a few seconds before falling into the water again.

"Yay, Alex!" Serena could be heard shouting.

Continuing to ride the wave, Olivia steered her board back toward Alex and started clapping. "Awesome job, baby!"

Alex held onto her board and smiled goofily as the wave subsided. "I still fell."

"But you caught a wave! I'm so proud of you!" Olivia exclaimed, enveloping her in a huge hug.

"I wanna learn how to do the turns and stuff like you did," Alex said with a pout.

Olivia laughed. "That was called a cutback. You'll get there. One step at a time, babe. Wanna try again?"

alex nodded eagerly. "Hell yeah!"

They tried several more times until Alex was able to ride a wave all the way through without falling. After she succeeded, Olivia picked her up at the shoreline and gave her a big kiss. "That was so perfect, baby!"

Alex wrapped her legs tighter around her and grinned from ear to ear. "You really think so?"

"No, I _know_ so," Olivia replied, giving her a firm slap on the ass.

Alex looked down at Olivia's chest. Her soaked top outlined her nipples more than usual. "I think the pokies are proud of me, too."

Giggling, Olivia agreed, "They are. And if you keep riding the waves like that, they'll have to give you a special treat."

"Oh yeah? Just what kinda treat?" she asked.

Olivia whispered something naughty in her ear and Alex blushed all over. "In that case, let's get back out there!" Alex yelled, grabbing her board and running into the ocean again.

"Hey, wait for me, little surfer!" Olivia called, running behind her.

Alex smiled to herself to hear Olivia call her a "surfer." It made her want to try even harder to impress her. She looked out over the water and it didn't seem as intimidating as it once did. It actually looked full of promise and temptation. Once they were a good piece from the shore again, Olivia turned to her and asked, "Is there anything you can't do, babe?"

Suddenly shy, Alex gave a small smile and answered, "I should be asking you that."

Olivia smiled back at her and then looked out over the horizon to see another set coming their way. "Hey, I wanna drop in on a wave in a bit, so you can sit tight on your board," she said. "Or you can practice a little more if you want. I think you're ready to have a wave all to yourself now."

"I think I'll practice," Alex said, excitedly waiting for the next wave. After falling into the water again, she decided to just sit on her board. "Scratch that. I think I'll watch you."

Olivia smirked. When a big wave approached, she dropped in and began riding the face of it. Alex smiled admirably and clapped as her girlfriend smoothly sailed under the crest of the tall wave. "Go, Liv!" she shouted.

A few other people in the water started hooting at her. Olivia was on cloud nine. She could hear the power of the wave as it barreled behind her before crashing over her at the very end.

"You looked so amazing!" she said with a grin as Olivia came back to her. "You make it look so easy! I don't know if I'd ever be able to do something like that!"

Olivia shook the water from her hair and grinned back. "Before you know it, you'll be shooting the curl, too. Let's go catch some more waves."

When they returned to their spot on the beach about a half hour later, Alex dropped her surfboard on the sand. Folding her arms and smirking, she asked smugly, "What was that you said earlier about me riding the sand?"

Casey smiled. "Ok, I completely take that back. You rocked out there."

With a satisfied smile, Alex sat down on a towel and stretched her long legs out. Olivia stretched out beside her and asked Serena, "Can we see the video?"

"Sure," Serena said, handing her the camera.

Alex leaned in so she could watch the video and squealed. "I can't wait to upload this on my laptop when we get back to the hotel!" She looked at Olivia. "Look how awesome you are riding the curl."

Olivia beamed with pride. "I guess I do look pretty good." She turned to Serena again. "Did you get any good pics, too?"

Serena nodded. "I got a few, actually."

Alex and Olivia looked at the pictures and grinned. "These are great!" Olivia said. "Alex, you look fabulous. You're my little surf bunny."

Alex blushed. "That really is a compliment coming from you."

"Look at Olivia glowing with girlfriendly pride," Serena remarked.

Olivia shrugged. "Have to say I taught her well."

Alex straddled her waist and looked down at her. "Yes, you did, baby." She leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"Your lips taste delicious," Olivia said with a smile.

Alex laughed. "They taste like saltwater."

"Come back down here and gimme more," Olivia replied, bringing Alex down to meet her lips again.

"Mommy, I'm too young!" Casey teased, covering her eyes.

Olivia stopped kissing Alex and threw some sand on Casey. "Oh, please. That was fairly G rated."

Serena got up off the sand and cuddled up to Casey on the lounge chair. Casey wrapped her arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Aww," Alex and Olivia said in unison.

"What do you think Elliot and Kathy are doing now?" Serena asked as Casey sifted her blonde locks through her fingers.

"Crying cuz they aren't here with us," Olivia answered. Everyone laughed.

"You should call Elliot," Alex suggested.

"Hey, can one of you reach down and pull my cell out of Alex's bag?" Olivia asked, pointing to Alex's bag on the other side of Casey's lounge chair.

Serena retrieved Olivia's cell phone and handed it to her. "Thanks," Olivia said, sitting up and stretching out her legs. She flipped it open and dialed Elliot as Alex nestled comfortably in her lap.

Elliot picked up on the third ring. "Yeah, I know you're calling to rub it all in my face."

Olivia laughed. "What are you, a mind reader?"

"I just know _you_ well enough," Elliot replied. "You guys get a chance to surf yet?"

"Actually, we did. Alex did a great job. We got some great pics and a couple videos. What are you and Kathy doing?"

"Finishing up breakfast," Elliot answered, shoving another forkful of eggs in his mouth.

"Hey, guys!" Kathy said into the phone.

Olivia put her phone on speaker so everyone could say "hey" back. Then she asked, "How'd you and El enjoy not being able to sleep in the same room?"

"Very funny!" Kathy replied.

"Next time we're definitely vacationing with you guys," Elliot insisted.

"If your dad lets you," Olivia replied. "You know how strict he is."

"Yeah, don't remind me. He's already taking me to police camp _again_ once summer rolls around. But we can all do something together before school starts back."

"Where's the camp?" Serena asked.

"In the Catskills. It's near Florida."

"Since when is Florida near the Catskills?" Serena wanted to know.

Elliot chuckled. "Not the state. Florida is in upstate New York."

"Oh," Serena answered. "Sounds like fun."

"I'm surprised they're letting girls and guys eat breakfast together," Casey chimed in.

"Don't worry. They're probably giving them a lecture on abstinence while they're eating," Alex joked.

Elliot groaned and retorted, "You should be a comedian, Alex."

"No sneaking behind the boathouse and making out, you two!" Olivia said.

"Been there, done that," Kathy replied.

"And making out wasn't all that was done," Elliot said before he could stop himself. Kathy whacked him on the arm.

"Woohoo!" Olivia shouted. "I guess you guys do need a lecture, huh? I think confession will be pretty interesting, too!"

Alex snickered. "Just make sure you don't get caught in the act."

"Liv, I know you aren't talking," Elliot snapped. "Just how many times have you and Alex done it since you've been there?"

"None, actually," Olivia answered.

"Yet," Alex added with a grin.

"Oh, Elliot! Is it in yet?" Casey teased.

"Harder, Elliot! Harder!" Serena added.

"I hope you didn't forget to pull out!" Olivia chimed in.

"Ok, conversation over," Kathy announced curtly.

"I agree. You guys have fun and try not to be too immature. Bye," Elliot said, hanging up.

All four girls burst out laughing. "They are so gonna kill us when we get back," Alex said, holding her stomach.

"I'll call back later and try to smooth things over," Olivia said. "But hey, they shouldn't be ashamed that they're gettin' some."

"What are we gonna eat for lunch?" Alex asked abruptly.

Olivia smirked. "Babe, we just ate breakfast not too long ago."

"I know, but you know I always like to think ahead!" Alex responded in her defense.

Olivia patted her on the top of her head. "Don't worry. We'll find some venue that can satisfy your appetite."

"You guys wanna see a movie tonight?" Serena suggested.

Olivia shrugged. "Fine with me."

Alex smiled and hugged Olivia's waist. "I love you. You're always down with anything."

"Emphasis on the 'down'," Casey teased.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Please, as if you don't do it."

Casey laughed and responded, "I know. I just like teasing you and Alex."

Alex leaned in and whispered in Olivia's ear, "While we're on the subject, when do I get my treat you promised?"

Olivia whispered back, "Patience, my little hornball."

"How much you wanna bet Liv's treat involves whipped cream and/or caramel?" Casey said to Serena.

"Mmm," Alex said. "The more, the better." She got off Olivia and sat down on the towel beside her.

Olivia turned to Serena and Casey. "You two win the award for nosiest couple ever."

"You two win the award for horniest couple ever!" Casey retorted.

Olivia put her hand to her chest and said, "Hey, I can't help it if Alex tries to rip my clothes off every time she sees me."

Alex's mouth dropped open and she swatted her on the arm. "Please!"

"Maybe Liv will give Alex a naked piggyback ride," Casey joked.

Serena walked her fingers up Casey's stomach. "Maybe you'll give _me_ one."

"I could've given you one last night if you'd just asked," Casey whispered, running a hand over Serena's breast.

Olivia gave Casey her best shit-eating grin. "And you call _us_ horny."

Alex smiled. "I don't even wanna hazard a guess what those two were doing last night."

Some people not too far away from them began setting up a volleyball net. Olivia jumped up and said, "Come on, guys! Let's join in!" She grabbed Alex's hand and started pulling her across the sand.

Casey and Serena looked at each other and shrugged. "Might as well," Casey said.

They all chose a side and lined up. A chick came to join their team right at the last minute. She smiled brightly at Olivia and said, "Hey, I recognize you from Outback last night!"

Olivia smiled back. "Yeah, you were our waitress. How's it going?"

"Good. Just out here trying to catch some rays," Jenny replied, throwing her long, layered brown hair over her shoulder. Her honey highlights glinted in the sun as her emerald eyes slowly traveled over Olivia's body.

"Yeah, we are, too," Alex interjected. _More like trying to catch my girlfriend_._ She's taking a little too much interest in Liv_, she thought. She eyed Jenny suspiciously. She was very pretty, had a killer body, and seemed nice enough, but Alex didn't like the vibes she was getting from her at all.

Jenny turned to Alex. _She could be a model_, she thought. "Oh, hey. I saw you out there surfing. You looked really good."

Alex gave her a tight smile. "Thanks."

Jenny looked at Olivia again. "And you were totally hot shooting the tube. I was thinking, 'Damn, girl!'"

Olivia grinned. "Thanks."

"So what are your names?" Jenny asked.

"Olivia, but everyone calls me Liv," Olivia answered.

"Alex," Alex answered bluntly. She didn't like the idea of anyone outside their circle calling Olivia "Liv" and she was kind of disappointed that Olivia would give her that permission—especially since they didn't even know the girl.

"Serena."

"Casey."

After introductions were made, Olivia threw the ball up in the air and slammed it over the net. People on the other team didn't have a chance. Groaning, a guy dug the ball out the sand and threw it back over the net at Olivia so she could serve it again.

"That's a pretty good serve! I only know how to do it underhand," Jenny complimented her. "Think you could teach me?"

"Sure. There's nothing to it. Just watch me closely," Olivia replied, throwing up the ball again and serving it. She laughed as the other team dove into the sand to attempt to hit the volleyball before it landed but ended up just crashing into one another.

"This is gonna be a pretty one-sided game if you keep serving like that!" Jenny teased. She placed a hand gently on Olivia's shoulder. "That rocked."

Alex narrowed her eyes at Jenny. She tucked an arm around Olivia's waist and kissed her cheek, all the while never letting her eyes leave Jenny. "She's really good at sports," she said dryly.

"I can see that," Jenny replied. _So she's marking her territory. That's fine. I'm always up for a challenge_, she thought mischievously.

Serena and Casey looked at each other. They could sense trouble brewing. Casey leaned over and whispered to Serena, "It's been less than two minutes into the game and Alex already looks like she's out for blood."

"Wouldn't you be?" Serena replied. "She's eye-humping Liv!"

Olivia served the ball again with the same result as the last couple times. "Three in a row!" she shouted victoriously.

"Yeah, well your luck's about to run out!" some guy shouted from the other team.

"We'll see about that!" Olivia retorted. Wanting to show off her moves, she threw the ball high in the air, jumped up, and slammed it down expertly onto their side.

Jenny inadvertently licked her lips as she watched Olivia's muscles ripple. This certainly was not lost upon Alex, who frowned and folded her arms. "That was so cool!" Jenny said.

Olivia gave her a lopsided grin and shrugged. "Nothin' to it."

_Oh, she is not giving her "the grin!" _Alex thought angrily.

A girl from the other team threw the ball back to Olivia. She started to serve again but caught Alex's less-than-pleased expression. "Something wrong, baby?"

Alex shook her head and forced a smile. "No. I was just thinkin' about something, that's all."

Olivia studied her face for a few more seconds and made a mental note to ask her about it later. She turned her attention to the net again and announced, "Ok, since you all suck so much ass and the rest of us actually wanna play, I'm gonna be much easier on you and won't spike serve the ball this time." Groans and mumbles of "whatever" could be heard from the other side as Olivia decided to serve the ball underhand.

A tall girl in the back managed to hit the ball back over the net. Casey smoothly hit it back to the other side again and stood on alert for the anticipated return of the ball. It returned and Serena hit it over the next time. The ball went back and forth a few more times but when it came back to their side again, it was headed in Alex's direction. Alex attempted to bump it over but missed.

"There goes my winning streak," Olivia muttered.

Alex frowned and threw the ball to the other team so they could serve. She folded her arms in annoyance. "It's not like I did it on purpose, Liv."

Olivia rubbed her back and said, "I know, babe." She tried to turn Alex's chin toward her but she struggled against her. Then she tried to pry Alex's arms apart but she refused to budge. Grinning, she tickled her stomach and as soon as Alex's arms dropped, she stole a kiss from her.

"You cheated!" Alex said, slapping her on the ass.

"You're so stubborn," Olivia said, pulling her close and stealing another kiss.

Jenny rolled her eyes, which Casey and Serena both caught. The girl on the other team who was about to serve shouted, "Hey! I could serve the ball if you two would stop making out!"

"Gettin' jealous?" Olivia shouted in return.

"She's not, but I know someone who is," Serena muttered to Casey.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Casey replied, still staring at Jenny.

The girl served the ball right to Alex, who this time was able to successfully bump it over. Olivia patted her on the back and said, "That was beautiful, sweetie."

Alex turned to her and smiled. "Thanks, baby."

The game ended with a score of 15-6 in favor of Olivia's team. Olivia threw the ball in the sand and swung Alex around. Alex squealed until Olivia put her on solid ground again. "I'm so dizzy!" she said.

Olivia pressed her body right up against Alex's. "Don't worry. I'll never let you fall."

Alex smiled at Olivia's sweet double entendre. "You got me all sorts of horny watching you play," she whispered in Olivia's ear.

Grinning, Olivia captured her mouth in a deep, probing kiss.

Jenny watched them and felt a twinge of jealousy. _Wow, she's a really great kisser_, she thought. _I wonder what her lips taste like…_

When the kiss ended Olivia asked, "So what sort of horny does that make you?"

"Let's just say it's not the waves soaking my bikini bottoms this time," Alex replied with a grin of her own.

Olivia licked her lips. "Then how 'bout we go someplace private so I can do a little investigating?"

"Sounds good. I'm more than ready for my first taste of sex on the beach."

"I think so, too," Olivia replied, running her hands over Alex's ass and squeezing hard.

Alex pulled Olivia's bottom lip between her teeth and ordered, "Slap it."

Olivia slapped her ass and then picked her up in her arms again. Alex wrapped her legs tightly around her waist and bounced against it. "You're really asking for it, aren't you?" Olivia said huskily, walking the fingers of one hand up Alex's stomach.

"Begging," Alex answered, running her hands up her arms and over her shoulders. She let her fingers linger at the knot that secured Olivia's bikini top at her neck. "What would happen if my fingers slipped and pulled this dainty little knot loose?"

"I'd have to fuck your beautiful brains out right here then," Olivia replied, her eyes filled with hunger.

Jenny bit her lip. She listened to the sexy banter they had going and was definitely more than a little turned on. She loved that Olivia was a sexual person and it only made her more attracted to her. _How dirty does Liv talk in bed? Is she dominant or submissive? Or is she a little bit of both?_ she wondered.

Olivia ran across the sand with Alex and placed her down on a deserted spot. "Privacy at last," she whispered.

Alex smiled up at her. "The sand is perfect—warm, but not too hot."

"Oh, it will be when I'm done with you," Olivia said with a waggle of her eyebrows. She settled down on top of her and started kissing and caressing her.

"Mmm," Alex moaned into her mouth.

With her eyes still closed, Olivia let her hand trail down her stomach and into the front of her bikini bottoms. Alex moaned louder as Olivia massaged her tongue with her own before leaving her mouth and slowly licking down her neck.

Olivia could feel herself getting wetter and wetter with each moan out of her girlfriend's mouth. She shifted her body so that one of Alex's thighs was between her legs and rubbing up against her sex. But before either of them could get completely lost in the moment, Alex pushed her back a little and opened her eyes regretfully. "Liv, wait."

Olivia was completely caught off guard. She opened her own eyes and looked at Alex curiously as she tried to make her brain function again. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Alex looked around nervously. "I just have this eerie feeling that we're being watched."

Olivia looked behind her and did a quick scan of the area. "I don't see anyone. You're just being paranoid, babe."

"Well, maybe they're gone now but I'm rarely wrong when I have that feeling. Anyway, let's just cuddle," she suggested.

Olivia smiled and continued to caress her inner sex. "My fingers are cuddling with your pussy."

Alex giggled. "Silly, you know what I mean."

Olivia removed her fingers and pouted. "But I thought me and the pokies were gonna give you your treat now."

Alex ran two fingers over Olivia's lips and used her other hand to pinch a hard nipple. "I'm still looking forward to that…but we don't want anyone walking up on us. How about we come back here late at night when no one is around?"

Olivia smiled again. "I'd like that very much. I guess it's a good idea we kept our bikinis on then, huh?" She rolled off Alex onto her back and pulled her close to her. Alex wrapped an arm around her waist and snuggled up to her shoulder. They both closed their eyes in contentment and started kissing again.

Little did Alex know, she had been right. Jenny was watching them from afar. The more affectionate they were with each other, the more determined she was to seduce Olivia. Besides, not one girl had been able to resist her charms yet…


	55. Powers of Persuasion

**Chapter 55: Powers of Persuasion**

Alex and Olivia returned to their original spot on the beach to find Serena and Casey staring at them with shit-eating grins. "You two look a little frazzled," Serena teased.

Olivia plopped down on a lounge chair and Alex cuddled up in her lap. "Not as frazzled as you two look!" Alex shot back.

Olivia ran a hand up and down one of Alex's smooth legs. "I would've done a little frazzlin', but Alex here thought we were being watched."

Alex looked at her. "We _were_," she insisted.

"Then by whom?" Olivia wanted to know.

Alex shrugged. "I dunno. But trust me—we were."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Maybe the boogeyman was watching us. He was probably turned on by a couple lesbians."

Alex shoved her shoulder. "I'm serious!"

Serena shook her head and laughed. "You'd better hope it wasn't that guy who films 'Girls Gone Wild.'"

Olivia smirked. "If it had been him, he would've been closer and would've had an entire camera crew with him."

"And we would've heard cheers," Alex added.

"Maybe it was Jenny," Casey guessed.

They all looked at her. "Jenny? Why her?" Olivia asked.

Casey gave her a look. "Come on, Liv. You'd have to be deaf and blind to not tell that she was sweating you."

"Definitely," Serena agreed.

Olivia rolled her eyes again. "Oh, please."

Alex frowned. "Please, nothing! She was acting like she wanted to throw you down on the sand and have her way with you right then and there!"

"How so?" Olivia challenged her.

Alex mimicked in her best Valley Girl voice, "'Oh my god, _Liv_, you were like, _totally_ hot out there in the water! Can you show me how to serve? I only know how to do it underhand!'"

Serena joined in with, "'Oh, Liv! I'm pretending to admire you in sports but I really just wanna fuck you senseless! Like totally, for sure!'"

Casey burst out laughing and Olivia couldn't help but laugh either at their antics. "You two are insane," Olivia said, shaking her head.

"We are not! I'm sure she would've stripped naked in two seconds if you'd told her! She was batting her eyelashes and everything!" Alex insisted. "And she was brushing up against you every chance she got."

"Alex, baby, you're exaggerating," Olivia argued. "But at least now I understand why you were acting weird during the game."

"I don't like her," Alex replied. "She seems shady."

Olivia sighed and played with a few strands of hair at the nape of Alex's neck. "Lots of girls flirt, sweetie. It's often just harmless fun."

"But sometimes there are ulterior motives," Alex continued to argue.

"Are you jealous?" Olivia asked her point blank.

Alex opened her mouth in shock and took a few seconds before responding, "Of _her_? Little Miss 'Let me bounce my boobs in your face' Jenny? Hardly."

Olivia smiled; she loved it when Alex was competitive against other girls and enjoyed teasing her about it. "You're so hot when you're saucy."

"Someone's getting turned on," Serena said with a wry smile.

Casey looked down at Olivia's chest. "I'll say."

Alex looked down, too and her lips slowly curled into a smile. "The pokies have come out to give their input on the situation."

Casey looked at Serena and said, "If Liv's nipples actually start talking, I'm running far, far away."

"I'll be right behind you, babe," Serena agreed.

Alex put her ear down next to one of Olivia's nipples and said, "What's that you say? Oh, you hate Jenny and think she's sketchy, too? Good. Glad I'm not the only one."

Olivia laughed. "Well, I guess we've reached a consensus now."

"Yeah, the pokies always get the last word!" Alex replied.

"Liv, is your bikini top even lined?" Casey wondered.

"Yes," Olivia said simply. "But this is Alex's fault."

"No, _this_ would be my fault," Alex responded, rubbing one of the bikini cups back and forth over Olivia's nipple to make it even more erect.

Olivia blushed a deep shade of crimson and put her hand over her breast. "Alex!"

Alex grinned. "You're so easy."

Olivia did the same thing to Alex and smiled smugly as her nipple hardened. "Now who's talkin'?"

Alex's face became as red as Olivia's had a couple seconds prior. "Liv!"

Casey lifted her hand to do the same thing to Serena but Serena gave her a look and warned, "Don't you even _dare_."

Casey cuddled Serena closer to her and whined, "Aww, sweetie, why do they get to have all the fun?"

"Because we already had our fun last night and this morning," Serena reminded her with a smile.

Casey gave her a soft kiss and replied, "I'm surprised we made it out of the shower."

Olivia laughed. "You two are starting to sound like us!"

Alex grinned at Serena. "Yeah, tell me about it!"

Serena smirked. "You two are rubbing off on us."

"I'm sure you'll be doing a little rubbing later," Olivia replied.

"So will you!" Serena retorted.

Olivia grinned. "Oh, you can count on it." She wiped some sweat off her brow with her arm. "Man, it's really starting to get hot out here."

Alex began drawing lazy circles on Olivia's cleavage with her index finger. "Speaking of hot…I could really go for a frozen mango daiquiri," she said dreamily.

"I'll get it, babe," Olivia offered. She pulled her fake ID and some money out of her wallet.

"Thanks," Alex said, flashing a smile.

Olivia was shocked to find the very person who had been the topic of conversation at the drink stand. Jenny gave Olivia her sexiest smile and said, "So we meet again."

Olivia nodded. "I guess we do."

"So how old are you?" Jenny asked.

Olivia smiled at her. "Maybe I shouldn't answer that until after I've ordered my drink."

Jenny laughed. "It's ok. I'm not gonna snitch."

"Well, in that case, 17," Olivia answered.

Jenny nodded. "Senior?"

"No, I'm a junior."

"Well, you certainly seem more mature than most other 17-year-olds I know," Jenny complimented, eyeing her cleavage.

Olivia flashed her a bright smile. "Thanks. How old are you?"

"19. How long you been surfing?"

"Uh…I've done it during the summer for a couple years, but nothing major," Olivia answered.

Jenny sipped her margarita and smiled. "You have really good form."

"So you surf, too?" Olivia asked her.

"Yeah. I've been doing it since I was 13."

"Wow! I guess you're pretty experienced, huh?" Olivia replied.

"You could say that," Jenny answered, taking a longer sip. Her eyes smiled at her over the rim of the glass.

Olivia ordered Alex's daiquiri. She could still feel Jenny's eyes on her while she waited. When the vendor handed her the drink, she noticed that she and Jenny exchanged a knowing smile. _Have they slept together before_? Olivia wondered.

Jenny looked at the daiquiri and said, "That looks really good. Cari makes the best drinks I know. She gives me free ones all the time."

"Cari? So you're on a first name basis?"

Jenny smiled slyly. "We know each other very well."

Olivia smirked. _Well, I guess I have my answer_, she thought. Changing the subject, she asked, "So…do you have your own board?"

Jenny nodded. "I saved up a lot of money to buy my baby."

"Yeah, I bet."

"Wanna see her?" Jenny offered.

"Sure."

_What's taking her so long?_ Alex wondered. She got up and started walking over to the drink stand to investigate and soon discovered what, or rather, _who_ was the cause of the holdup. She was still several feet away when she saw Olivia and Jenny walking off in the _opposite_ direction. _Just where the hell is the bitch taking her?_ Alex decided to surveil from a distance so she could see exactly where they were going without making it obvious that she was following them.

They arrived at Jenny's spot on the beach. Olivia noticed a bunch of towels, bags, coolers, and equipment lying around. "Where'd everyone go?" she asked, setting Alex's drink down on a cooler.

"I came with some friends, but they're out hitting the surf." After downing the rest of her margarita, she picked up her board and showed it to Olivia.

Olivia ran a hand over it and said, "Fiberglass—nice. I'd love to have a board like this."

Jenny smiled. "I'm sure you will one day." She looked at Olivia's toned arms and complimented, "You seem really strong. Can you flex for me?"

Of course, Olivia was not oblivious to the fact that Jenny was hitting on her hardcore, but she secretly enjoyed all the attention and flattery—especially from an older chick. "Sure," she answered, lifting her left arm and flexing her muscles.

Jenny couldn't resist reaching over and feeling the hard biceps. "Ooh, nice! How long did it take you to get those babies?"

_Oh, no she didn't! _Alex thought. She was seething.

Grinning with pride, Olivia shrugged. "Well, I'm pretty athletic and I work out a lot…so I've had them awhile."

Jenny bit her lip; she could barely contain her desire. "I guess it takes years to perfect a body as hot as yours." She held Olivia's gaze for a few seconds, and this was not lost upon Alex, who just got angrier.

Not wanting to give Jenny mixed signals, Olivia broke the gaze. Her eye happened to catch her belly-button jewelry. It was a silver belly button ring with two small red cherries fashioned from rubies and leaves fashioned from emeralds. "Cute," she said. "When did you get it pierced?"

"Last year," Jenny answered. "You should get one. It'd make your stomach even sexier." She grinned at her. "So what do you look like under that bikini?"

Olivia laughed awkwardly. She couldn't tell whether Jenny was joking or not. "Uh…I plead the fifth."

Jenny moved closer to her and ran her fingers over her abs. "Oh, come on now. Don't be shy."

Alex felt her heart drop into her stomach as she watched the scene unfold. _How far is she gonna let her get_? she wondered, trying to stop her lower lip from trembling.

Luckily, Olivia did not disappoint. She removed Jenny's hand and stepped back. "Hey, you can look but don't touch. As you already know, I have a girlfriend."

Alex couldn't help but smile at hearing Olivia resist her. She let out a deep, thankful sigh.

But Alex's smile wouldn't last long. Jenny took a step toward Olivia again. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her." She untied her bikini top at the neck and twirled the strings around her finger. "Besides, I can make your body feel things that your girlfriend couldn't begin to imagine."

_The hell she can!_ Alex thought.

Olivia looked around nervously. "Um, I think you should keep your clothes on."

"It'll be our little secret," Jenny persisted, taking one of the strings and tracing it down Olivia's jaw.

Olivia moved her head to the side. "I don't keep secrets from Alex. Seriously, keep your top on."

Jenny ignored her. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, raised her top over her breasts, and threw it on the sand. "The girls wanna come out and play. Come on. No one's looking."

Olivia gawked at her breasts but took a couple steps back nonetheless. _Damn, she has one of the nicest pair of tits I've ever seen!_ Slowly raising her eyes, she announced, "Ok. I'm leaving now and you need to put your clothes back on. Last time I checked, this wasn't a nude beach." She grabbed Alex's drink, turned around, and started walking away.

Jenny grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Don't you find me attractive?" she asked sultrily, her nipples hardening.

Olivia forced herself not to look at her breasts again. She yanked her arm away. "Your body? Yes. Your sleazy, underhanded attempts to fuck me when you know I have a girlfriend? No way in hell."

"Maybe this will change your mind…" Jenny purred, wrapping her arm around her neck and leaning in to kiss her.


	56. Cease and Desist

**Chapter 56: Cease and Desist**

Olivia was shoving Jenny away when a voice yelled, "Stop it, you skank!"

They both turned to see Alex, who marched right over and shoved Jenny hard. Mouth agape, Jenny stumbled back a few steps and almost tripped over a cooler. Even though she and Alex were practically the same height, she didn't expect someone as skinny as her to have that much strength. "Chill out. Liv and I were just talking."

"I just saw you trying to kiss my girlfriend!" Alex shouted, shaking all over in anger. "The only talking was with your boobs!" She picked Jenny's top up off the sand and threw it in her face. "Put your fucking clothes on!"

Jenny shrugged and put her top back on. "Your loss. It's a pity, too. Maybe if you were nice I would've been up for a threesome."

Letting out a growl, Alex shoved Jenny harder, sending her tumbling to the ground. "Stay away from my girlfriend! She doesn't want your disease-ridden lips on her!"

Jenny stood up and glared at her. "I'm clean, you bitch."

"Since when is trash clean?" Alex taunted. Olivia snickered next to her.

"Trash? If I'd had five more seconds with Liv, she would've been screaming my name right about now."

"Uh, no…that was never gonna happen," Olivia snapped, glaring at Jenny.

Before Jenny could respond, Alex slapped her hard across the face. Her hand stung from the contact, but she refused to give her the satisfaction of showing it. What she really wanted to do was rip her face off instead. "Stop calling her Liv!" she demanded.

Jenny's hand flew to her face. "You're gonna regret that," she threatened, staring Alex down.

Olivia narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to her. "How so?"

Alex folded her arms and smiled smugly. "It must really hurt your ego to know that a 17-year-old turned you down. Guess you're not as slick as you thought. Maybe if you weren't so conniving, you'd have a girl of your own and wouldn't have to try to steal everyone else's!"

Jenny rolled her eyes and let out a bitter laugh. "You kids are so naïve. You're both too young to be tied down to one person."

"Just because you're a stupid whore doesn't mean the rest of us are!" Alex retorted.

"Whore? Who are you calling a whore, you dumb bitch?" Jenny yelled.

Alex snatched the daiquiri out of Olivia's hand and threw it in Jenny's face. "The bitch who's covered in my daiquiri! I'd planned on drinking it, but your skanky ass ruined my appetite!"

The thick, cold, sticky liquid slid down her face and dripped onto her chest and stomach. Jenny stood there with her mouth open in shock for several seconds before frantically trying to wipe it away. "How fucking _dare_ you?"

"How dare you try to fuck _my_ girlfriend? Don't touch her again or I will make _you_ regret it!"

Jenny narrowed her eyes and took a step toward Alex. She was beyond fed up with her. "No, maybe I'll just touch _you_," she said, shoving her down on the ground.

Olivia screamed, "Hey, don't put your hands on her like that!"

"Fuck you!" Jenny replied. She was just about to jump on Alex when she shot her foot out and kicked her hard in the stomach. "Ow!" However, she would not be deterred; in fact, that only made her angrier. She lunged at Alex again and landed on top of her. She grabbed a handful of hair out of her ponytail and pulled as hard as she could.

"Let go, you cunt!" Alex yelled, trying to pry Jenny's fingers out of her hair. She threw her fist out and it connected squarely with her jaw.

Immediately letting go of Alex's hair, Jenny screamed in pain and fell back. Since she hadn't listened to her, Olivia decided to teach her a lesson. Before she could recover from the pain of Alex's foot in her stomach or the punch to her jaw, Olivia grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her so hard against a tree that it knocked the wind out of her. "Mess with her again and I'll punch your fucking lights out!" she threatened, raising a fist right under Jenny's nose.

Gasping for air, Jenny doubled over. Turning to Alex, Olivia grabbed her hand and quickly helped her to her feet. "You ok, baby?" she asked, kissing her cheek.

Alex nodded and fixed her ponytail. "I'm fine."

"That's what I get for messing with jailbait," Jenny muttered after she'd finally caught her breath again. She slowly and shakily stood up straight.

"Yeah, and this jailbait will kick your ass!" Olivia threatened, getting in her face again.

"So will this one!" Alex pitched in, straightening her shoulders.

Jenny knew that Olivia was a force to be reckoned with, so she decided to back down this time. "Fine. Have it your way."

Giving her one last glare, Alex grabbed Olivia's hand. "Come on. Let's leave this slut to find other prey."

Alex led them over to some secluded rocks. Olivia gave her a lopsided grin and began, "You know…I was kinda getting turned on seeing the two of you scuffle."

Alex glared at her. "Oh, don't think you're off the hook!"

Olivia's mouth dropped open. "Alex, come on! I resisted her advances every step of the way!"

"Except for the first step you took in her direction anyway! Why'd you go off with her like that?" Alex demanded, hands on her hips. "We'd all warned you how she had the hots for you and you didn't listen! Were you trying to hook up?"

Olivia was hurt that Alex would think she'd betray her. "Alex, if this had been a year ago, yeah, I would've fucked her right there. But everything is different now! You know I'd never cheat on you and I have no desire to do so! I thought you trusted me!"

"Then why'd you go off with a girl you knew was trying to get in your pants?" Alex asked again. "What were you thinking?"

Olivia sighed. "She was at the drink stand when I walked up. She started making small talk—asking my age, what grade I was in, talking about surfing—and after I got your daiquiri, she asked me if I wanted to see her board. So I told her yeah cuz I didn't think there'd be any harm in that. She didn't start being so aggressive until we were alone. But I can handle myself around horny chicks! Just because they wanna do stuff to me doesn't mean I'd let them!"

"Come on, Liv! You were getting off on her drooling all over you!" Raising one hand, Alex looked up to the sky and mimicked, "'Your biceps are _so_ hot! How long did it take you to get those babies?'" She reached over and squeezed Olivia's upper arm just where Jenny had.

Olivia pulled away. "Drop the sarcasm, Alex. Ok, I'll admit that I liked the attention but—"

Alex scowled and interrupted, "Why the _fuck_ do you need attention from other girls? Don't I give you enough?"

"Of course, Alex, but I'm just saying—"

"I wanted to vomit when she put her hands on you!" Alex interrupted again. "Remember how you flipped out at my fucking party when Rebecca slapped my ass and licked my neck?"

Turning red, Olivia pointed her finger in Alex's face and shouted, "That's not the same thing! Letting someone touch your biceps is a lot different from letting them touch your _ass_ or letting them put their tongue on you! Did Jenny slap my ass? No! Did Jenny lick me? Hell no! So yeah, she may have touched me, but I didn't touch her at all until I was pushing her hand away when she tried to feel up my abs! And I also pushed her back when she tried to kiss me! Doesn't that count for something?"

Regardless of Olivia's point, Alex still refused to let her off the hook. "No, because you were totally checking out her body! I saw the way you were staring at her tits! So what is it? Am I not enough for you?"

Olivia threw her hands up exasperatedly. "Yes, you're more than enough! We've gone over this before! Sometimes I just like the eye candy—like anyone else! There are plenty of girls with bangin' bodies but yours is the only one I wanna touch! If I'd wanted to touch her, I would've and we both know she was practically begging me to!"

"Great, Liv! Like I needed the reminder!"

"And like I need you busting my chops about this!" Olivia yelled. "I keep trying to explain but everything I say just gets me in more trouble!"

"You hurt me, Liv! Why not own up to it instead of making excuses for it?"

"I'm sorry I hurt you! Geez!"

"Yeah, you sound real apologetic!" Alex snapped.

"I mean it! All I'm saying is that I can't undo the past so can we please just drop it? I told you I had no intention of letting things get any further and you damn well know I'm telling the truth! I'm done arguing about this just because you wanna have something to be angry about!"

"I damn well have every right to be angry! I don't wanna see you flirting with other girls or letting them flirt with you! You'd be ready to chew me out in a heartbeat if I did it!"

All this arguing was making Olivia strangely aroused. She looked at Alex—chest heaving, face red, fire in her eyes, and strands of sun-kissed hair cast wildly about her face—and she felt herself burning up with desire. "Shut up," she ordered, pushing Alex against the rocks and pressing her mouth against hers.

Alex was definitely caught off guard. As much as she wanted to resist the kiss, her body had other plans.

Olivia twisted Alex's long ponytail around her hand. Grabbing the scrunchie, she pulled it off so Alex's hair fell loosely over her shoulders. She tightly tangled a hand in the messy locks as she pushed her tongue hungrily against hers.

With each second of the kiss, Alex could feel her wetness spreading. Olivia pulled her boy shorts down over her hips and shoved two fingers inside her.

"Oh fuck, Liv! Give me more!" Alex yelled, thrusting her hips in rhythm with Olivia's pumping fingers.

Olivia quickly added a third finger to the mix. She began thrusting deeper and deeper. Alex thought she would faint at the feeling of Olivia's thumb swiping against her clit with each thrust.

Olivia could feel the saltwater dashing against the rocks and spraying her face with a light mist. Her nostrils flared at the crisp scent of the air mixed with the intoxicating smell of Alex. She licked her lips as she ran a hand under one of the cups of Alex's bikini top and was met with a rock hard nipple. She pulled and twisted it as Alex let out staggered gasps of raw pleasure. Before she knew it, Alex had yanked down her boy shorts and was grabbing a handful of her ass.

"Do I fuck you like I want anyone else?" Olivia asked, grinding her sex against Alex's thigh while she started twisting her fingers inside her. She bit her lip when Alex dug her nails into her ass and began massaging one of her breasts under her top.

"N-no," Alex stuttered, reveling in the feeling of Olivia's slick heat on her thigh. Her insides were burning from the intensity of the sensations Olivia was creating throughout her body, and the coolness of the rocks behind her was a welcome contrast.

"Do I kiss you like I want anyone else?" Olivia demanded, enveloping her mouth again.

All Alex could do was moan in response.

With swollen lips, Olivia broke away from her mouth and asked, "Do I touch you like I want anyone else?" She ran the fingers of her other hand up her spine in a way that made Alex shiver with ecstasy. When Alex didn't answer right away, Olivia slapped her right ass cheek to get her attention.

"No!" Alex answered, her eyelids fluttering open again.

Olivia took Alex's hand and shoved it against her dripping sex. "Do I let you touch me like I want anyone else?"

Alex shook her head. She moved her fingers so she could caress Olivia's throbbing, engorged clit. With her other hand still on her girlfriend's breast, Alex played with a taut nipple. Olivia let out her own moan and continued, "Do I get wet for you like I want anyone else?"

Alex shook her head again and curled her toes in the sand. "Fuck no!" She continued riding her hand until she felt her walls tighten around Olivia's fingers. With a soul-shaking scream, she submitted to wave after wave of passion.

As Alex shuddered violently against her, Olivia asked, "Do I make you cum like I want anyone else?"

Alex held onto her strong shoulders and replied, "Oh shit, no!"

After Olivia came hard against her thigh, she asked, "Did I just cum all over you like I want anyone else?"

Alex's legs felt like rubber. Gasping for breath, they both collapsed to the sand. Alex looked up into Olivia's eyes and said softly, "No."

Olivia gave her a soft kiss and brushed some hair out of her eyes. "I love you," she whispered. "And I really am sorry."

Alex looked into Olivia's eyes and could see the love pouring from them. She smiled and replied, "I know."

Olivia straddled her waist and picked up her right hand to examine it. "Do your knuckles hurt, baby?"

Alex's smile turned into a grin. "Not anymore. But the pain was well worth it."

Olivia brought her hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles. "I'll say. The pokies really enjoyed their front row seats. You pack quite a punch. Remind me not to piss you off anymore."

Alex laughed. "I can't believe I actually fought someone, let alone punched them."

Olivia linked Alex's fingers with her own. "Well, she deserved it."

"I can't wait to see Casey and Serena's faces when we tell them."

Laughing, Olivia leaned down and kissed her nose. "Speaking of which, I bet they're wondering what the hell happened to us."

"They're probably too busy sucking face," Alex replied. "So do you think Jenny will leave you alone for good?"

"Hell yeah! She's not stupid enough to mess with either of us again. And she'll probably be too busy nursing that jaw to wanna do anything else for the rest of the day."

Alex laughed again and reached up to play with a few strands of Olivia's hair. She thought about how beautiful she looked with the wind blowing the wisps of damp hair around her face. "Yeah. Maybe she can find some new plaything to nurse her back to health."

Olivia's smile faded into a serious look. "Are we ok?"

Alex gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. "Yeah. Can we make a pact not to argue anymore during our vacation?"

Olivia smiled again and promised with a kiss, "Yes."

"Where do I sign?" Alex asked, tapping her playfully on the nose.

"Well, I'm more a fan of oral contracts," Olivia said, closing her mouth over hers again.


	57. Picture Perfect

**Chapter 57: Picture Perfect**

When they finally sauntered back over to Serena and Casey, Casey took off her shades and asked, "Where the hell have you two been? We thought the ocean had swallowed you up."

"Kicking Jenny's ass," Alex answered, running her fingers through her hair to get the tangles out and then pulling it back into a ponytail.

Both Casey and Serena's mouths dropped open. "Get outta here!" Serena exclaimed.

"You did not!" Casey added.

"Oh, yes we did. And Alex punched her in the face," Olivia said proudly.

Serena looked at Alex. "Ok, now I know you're lying."

Alex smiled smugly. "What? Didn't think I had it in me?"

"And what were you doing the whole time, Liv?" Casey asked.

"Probably masturbating," Serena answered.

Alex looked at Olivia and smirked. "Well, she got pretty close."

"So where is Jenny now?" Casey asked.

"Cowering in fear of Alex, that's for sure," Olivia replied with a grin.

"So how did everything go down?" Serena asked.

Alex recounted all the details with Olivia chiming in every now and then to add to them. When they finished, Serena and Casey's mouths were agape again. "Why the hell did we miss this?" Casey demanded.

Olivia laughed. "Guess you guys should've followed Alex."

"That's definitely somethin' that needed to be on camera!" Serena replied.

"Tell me about it," Casey muttered. "I can't believe she actually took her top off and tried to seduce you! What a skank!"

Serena stroked her cheek. "Well, you took your top off for me…"

"We already knew each other! I'd never do it for some chick I just met," Casey replied, kissing her fingers.

Alex sat down on the lounge chair and was surprised when Olivia sat in her lap. "Hey, you've proven today that you're big and strong enough to hold me now!" Olivia explained.

Alex laughed. "You're so cute."

Olivia cuddled up to her chest. "Protect me from the big bad meanies of the world, Alex."

Alex leaned down and kissed her head. "You are too adorable for words."

Olivia grinned from ear to ear. "Well, I try every now and then ya know…"

Alex pulled some Skittles out of her bag and a Capri Sun. Olivia looked up at her and exclaimed, "Hey! You already had a drink and wanted me to get a daiquiri?"

Alex grinned. "Daiquiris taste much better than Capri Suns! Besides, we left the cooler in the room so it's not cold."

"Have anymore?" Casey asked.

"Nah, I just grabbed this one," Alex answered.

Casey got up. "I'll go fill the cooler with ice and drinks. Be back in a few."

Serena got up, too. "Uh…I'll go help," she said, giving her a sly grin.

Casey grabbed her hand. "I could always use a little extra help," she replied with a smile of her own.

"Can I have a sip?" Olivia asked. "They probably won't return for days."

Alex laughed. "Sure you can." She held the straw down to Olivia's mouth.

Olivia held out her hand. "Skittles please?"

Alex poured her a generous amount. "So what are we gonna do the rest of the day?"

"Well…" Olivia started, walking her fingers up Alex's stomach. "We could chill, surf, nap, and um…play."

Alex grinned. "I'm always down for playing."

"We could also take a long stroll...you know, check out some venues along the boardwalk."

Alex kissed her forehead. "That would be fun—and romantic."

Smiling, Olivia said, "You're only kissing me because you're tryna butter me up to let you spend hours in each store."

"Hey! Being a conscientious shopper is a _good_ thing!"

Olivia chuckled. "If you say so." She wrapped an arm around her waist and continued, "We still have a whole week left here. We'll have time to check out everything, no worries."

"And we can kiss and hold hands everywhere without worrying about parents," Alex added.

"That's the best part. No one can tell us what to do or what not to do. Hey, there's a concert tomorrow night. Wanna go?"

"Sure. Oh, did you bring your hookah?"

"Yep, along with five flavors of shisha. And I'll get some alcohol tonight and we can have a good time. Then maybe later on in the week we can hit up some parties."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Alex replied, throwing some Skittles into her mouth.

Olivia watched her chew. "Those jaws were made for Skittles."

"Damn right."

Twenty minutes later, Serena and Casey finally returned. "What took you guys so long?" Alex asked.

Olivia gave her a look. "As if you didn't know."

"I was helping Casey find something," Serena said in her defense.

Olivia smirked. "If she doesn't know where her clit is after all this time you've been having sex, then there's no helping her—or you either for that matter."

Alex burst out laughing and Casey and Serena both tried not to laugh. "Oh you are gonna get it!" Casey yelled, opening up the cooler and throwing some ice on Olivia.

Olivia threw the ice back at her. "So it's true, huh?"

"No! We know very well where each other's clits are!" Serena retorted.

A few people not too far away from them turned their heads and stared. Serena and Casey both turned beet red. Alex and Olivia almost fell over with laughter. "Could you say that a little louder?" Alex asked with a shit eating grin.

Serena rolled her eyes and sat down. "Real funny, Alex."

Casey cuddled up beside her. "Yeah, they should both be comedians when they grow up."

"Emphasis on the growing up," Serena muttered.

"Don't be so uptight," Olivia said.

"Yeah. Can't you guys take a joke?" Alex added.

Serena pulled out a Capri Sun and jabbed the straw in it. "I'm so over this."

"You guys tease us about sex all the time," Olivia protested.

Casey groaned. "Liv, just drop it, ok?"

Several minutes of silence ensued. Olivia looked in Alex's bag and pulled out a pack of Starburst. Alex looked at her and exclaimed, "Hey!"

Olivia tore open the pack and pulled a couple out. "Don't you wanna share with your Livvykins?" she said with a pout.

Alex smiled. "Ok. You can have some."

Olivia grinned. "Works every time."

"Yeah, but you're gonna have to feed me soon," Alex replied. "Punching whores works up an appetite."

Olivia laughed. "I'll say. Surfing, too." She grabbed a scrunchie and pulled her hair into a ponytail.

Alex tugged on it. "Aw, it's so short and cute!"

Olivia kissed her on the cheek. "I aim to please."

"Talk about pleasing…" Serena began. "Some chick just took her top off!"

"Where?" Alex asked.

"Right over there!" Serena said, pointing.

"She has really nice tits," Alex said as she stared. "Ooh, she's putting oil on them!"

Olivia frowned. "Alex, my tits are down here," she said, pointing to her own chest.

"Don't get mad, pookie," Alex replied, patting Olivia on the shoulder absently while not letting her eyes leave the woman's breasts.

"If you wanted to watch a chick put oil on her boobs, all you had to do was ask," Olivia replied.

Alex folded her arms. "What was it you said about looking but not touching? About just liking the 'eye candy'? I like boobs, too, Liv. And as evidenced from earlier, so do you!"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Geez Liv, jealous much?"

Olivia glared at her. "How many times do I have to tell you to stay outta my business?"

"Funny, you don't seem to stay outta ours!" Serena retorted.

"Please, I know you're not talking. I can't count the number of times you tried to tell Alex to stop talking to me," Olivia snapped.

"Liv, let's not bring up the past, ok?" Alex begged.

"Yeah, Liv, stop attacking my girlfriend," Casey demanded.

"I'll stop attacking her when she stops attacking me!" Olivia yelled.

Alex rubbed her shoulder. "Liv, please? Don't you remember our pact about not arguing?"

Olivia calmed down. "Ok," she grumbled. "But I wasn't arguing with you, I was arguing with them."

"Now maybe we can get back to our regularly scheduled boob watching," Casey said. She looked at the woman again. "Her boobs are totally fake."

"Yeah, but I've seen worse looking ones," Serena commented. "Those actually have a more natural shape."

"Her nipples are perky," Alex said. Before Olivia could open her mouth, she added, "But not as perky as the pokies."

Olivia smiled. "Damn right."

"You're cute when you're jealous," Alex said, tapping her on the nose. She unwrapped a Starburst and ate it. Then she unwrapped another and put it in Olivia's cleavage.

"The pokies love Starburst," Olivia said, taking it out and popping it into her mouth.

"I wonder what else Liv can fit in her cleavage…" Casey began, throwing a Skittle at her chest.

"Hey, my boobs aren't made for candy!" Olivia protested. She flicked the Skittle on the sand.

"Maybe somewhere else is…" Alex replied with a naughty grin. She unwrapped yet another Starburst and stuck it in the front of her bottoms.

Olivia's mouth dropped open. "You're getting it out."

Alex grinned. "Gladly." She pushed Olivia off her lap and started to move down her body.

"I guess Alex is gonna bob for apples," Casey muttered to Serena.

"I heard that!" Alex said.

"Careful, you don't wanna attract a crowd of horny guys," Serena said.

"I think the biggest problem we have to worry about is a horny Alex," Casey joked.

Olivia closed her eyes in anticipation of feeling Alex's mouth on her center. Grinning at Serena and Casey, Alex reached down and picked up a handful of sand. She then quickly opened her bottoms and poured it in.

Olivia's eyes flew open as the fine sand settled. "Alex, what the fuck?"

Alex laughed and jumped up. "Tricked ya!"

Serena and Casey both laughed as Alex took off. Olivia yelled out, "I'm so gonna get you!" and chased after her down the beach.

Alex glanced over her shoulder and saw Olivia gaining on her. She sped up in an attempt to escape her.

Olivia started running faster. When she was an arm's length away, she tackled her to the ground and started tickling her. "Got ya!"

"Stop, Liv!" Alex demanded, giggling incessantly. "Stop!"

"Say you're sorry!" Olivia replied, tickling her harder.

"Sorry!" Alex shouted. She tried to catch her breath as she pushed Olivia's roaming fingers away.

After shaking out the sand, Olivia straddled her waist and looked down at her. "You are so beautiful. I love the way you look up at me with those big blue eyes."

Alex's whole face broke out in a smile. "Aww, Liv…" she said simply.

"Close your eyes," Olivia ordered. "I have a surprise for you."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "You're not gonna put sand in my bottoms as payback are you?"

Olivia laughed. "No, but I should! Come on. You'll like it. I promise."

Alex stared into her eyes to try to figure out what she was doing. When she decided Olivia wasn't up to any mischief, she closed her eyes. "Don't disappoint me."

Olivia ran off. She walked along the cliffs until she saw the perfect flowers. Smiling to herself, she picked a few of the yellow daisies and formed a nice little bouquet.

When she returned, she plucked off two of the flowers from their stems and put them on Alex's eyelids. Alex reached up to remove the soft petals and opened her eyes. A wide smile crossed her face. "Aww, you brought me flowers."

Olivia smiled and presented her with the rest of the bouquet. "They remind me of sunshine. Just like you."

Alex let out a gasp of adoration. "I love you," she breathed.

Olivia leaned down to kiss her. Alex wrapped her arm around her neck and tenderly returned the kiss.

After several minutes they heard a voice say, "Well, well, look who it is!"

Olivia opened her eyes and pulled back from Alex. She frowned when she saw Abbie. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Abbie folded her arms. "You guys don't own the beach, you know. Lexie and I decided we'd chill here over Spring Break, too."

Olivia stood up and then pulled Alex to her feet. "You mean Lexie decided to chill and you decided to tag along so you could stalk me and Alex."

Abbie rolled her eyes. "Please. Get over yourself. I was walking by and just happened to recognize you."

"You wouldn't have even come here if you hadn't overheard us talking about our plans in class," Alex snapped.

Abbie smirked. "Do you two really think we ripped off your vacation idea? Hardly. We don't need you to think for us. Everyone knows this is a popular Spring Break getaway."

"Speaking of getaways, why don't you get the hell away from us?" Olivia demanded, sneering at her and bawling up a fist.

Abbie shook her head and replied, "Tsk. Tsk. Alex, why don't you pay for some anger management classes for your girlfriend while you're here?"

Olivia stepped right up to her face. "I'm not going to tell you again. Leave us alone or you'll regret it."

Abbie would not back down. "Oh, really? You keep making the same threats over and over again without carrying them out. Something tells me you're just full of shit."

Alex put a hand gently on Olivia's shoulder. "Sweetie…don't let her get to you. She's purposely baiting."

"You know, no teachers are around to write us up," Olivia said to Abbie. "This would be the perfect opportunity to kick your ass without getting suspended!"

Abbie swung her long brown hair over her shoulder. "Well, if you wanna take being arrested over being suspended, be my guest. But you're probably not worried; I'm sure Alex has plenty of bail money."

Olivia pushed her backwards. Abbie stumbled back a few steps but managed to keep her balance. Olivia closed in on her again and said, "I'm getting real sick of you implying I'm a gold digger."

With her beautiful features twisted into a scowl, Abbie retorted, "I didn't hear those words come out of my mouth. Sounds like guilt to me."

Olivia pointed a finger at her nose and said, "The only thing I'm guilty of is acknowledging your pathetic existence. Maybe _you_ should take some classes while you're here for your obviously low self-esteem."

"You think _I_ have low self-esteem? Seems you're projecting," Abbie snapped.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Save your psychobabble for Olivet's class where it belongs."

Olivia clenched her jaw. "The only thing I'm going to project is my fist onto your face if you don't leave us the hell alone!"

"I should find a cop now and have you arrested for assault," Abbie threatened.

Olivia laughed scornfully. "Assault? You think one little shove is assault? Let me make it worth your while then," she said, shoving her so hard that she fell to the ground. She drew back her fist and was going to punch her when Alex got in front of her and held her arms.

"Liv…don't. She's not worth it," she begged.

Sighing, Olivia softened her stance. When Alex let go of her arms, she looked around her and said to Abbie, "Consider yourself lucky this time, bitch."

Abbie jumped to her feet and brushed the sand off herself. "Fuck you. I have better things to do anyway."

As soon as she left, Olivia looked at Alex and smiled. "Now where were we?"

Alex brushed her cheek and smiled back. "I think I remember." Taking her hand, she sat back down on the sand and pulled her on top of her.

As their lips merged, Olivia ran her hands over Alex's body. Moaning deeply, Alex cupped her breasts while Olivia's lips darted from her mouth to her neck.

Olivia worked her fingers into Alex's hair and released her ponytail. She traced her lips along her collarbone and circled the hollow of her throat with her tongue before enveloping her mouth again.

What they didn't know was that Abbie was watching them from a distance. She was hidden safely from view but not too far that she couldn't capture a clear image of them with her telephoto lens. _Ms. Benson is going to love getting these_, she thought with an evil grin. After taking several photos of them making out, she put her camera in her bag and then walked off to find Lexie.


	58. Truth Hurts

**Chapter 58: Truth Hurts**

Serena Benson walked in her house and threw her purse and keys on the coffee table. "These AA meetings are killing me," she muttered. She walked over to the end table to check her answering machine. No messages. She had hoped Olivia would call since she was now in AA again. _Maybe she still thinks it's too soon to make a difference_, she thought. In all honesty, she couldn't say that she blamed her. She thought she needed something more powerful than just AA, but she didn't want to even consider checking into rehab until the semester was over.

She went to her bedroom and sat down at her desk. Opening up her laptop, she logged in to check her email. Spam, a few messages from students about office hours or assignments, and more spam. She was about to delete one last message as spam but something told her to stop. She didn't recognize the sender, but the subject said, "What's done in the dark…" She double clicked to open it. All the blood drained from her face as she read the text:

_There once was a girl who was mighty bold,_

_Yet she had many secrets left untold,_

_Frolicking down the beach hand in hand,_

_Making out gleefully in the sand,_

_Oh, what adventures lie ahead tonight!_

_For Olivia Benson and her blonde socialite._

As she opened up the attached photos, she felt sick. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" she yelled, slamming her fist on the desk. Any feelings of wanting to reconcile things with her daughter immediately were trumped by this new discovery. She remembered how she'd overheard their phone conversation earlier in the week before Olivia had fled to Alex's. In addition to that, there were all the signs she'd noticed over the past few months but ended up denying—spending almost every moment together, holding each other while sleeping, Alex's panties on her bed, Olivia's slipup when she said she wouldn't stop "seeing" her. Each piece of the puzzle got bigger. She was livid with her for telling such a blatant lie and she wanted nothing more than to confront her.

Her first instinct was to call her and demand that she come home immediately. Her next instinct was to wait until she walked through the door and then let her have it. However, something told her to hold off until she caught them in the act. She didn't want to give Olivia the opportunity to make up some outrageous lie again.

As for a current course of action, she needed to tell Madeline. She hadn't believed her when she'd told her she suspected something was going on, but now she thought that Madeline had just been in denial, too. She packed up her laptop, walked to the living room to grab her keys and purse, and was out the door in a flash.

* * *

Madeline was in her study when she heard a knock. "Come in," she called, taking off her glasses.

Janice came in and announced, "Madam, Serena Benson is at the gate. Should I buzz her in?"

_What does she want now?_ Madeline thought. Even though she had her reservations, she smiled at Janice and replied, "Yes, that will be fine. Thank you."

Janice nodded and took her leave. Madeline stood up, straightened out her skirt, and went to the living room to await Serena's arrival.

A couple minutes later, Janice escorted Serena in to see her. Madeline motioned for her to take a seat in the armchair across from her. "What's on your mind, Serena? How has AA been?"

"It's been fine. But that's not what I'm here to discuss with you."

Madeline crossed her legs. "Then what is it?"

Janice brought in tea and set the silver tray on the coffee table. When Serena politely declined a cup, she asked, "Is there something else you would like, ma'am?"

Serena shook her head and answered, "No, thank you."

"You should try some," Madeline said. "It's a Moroccan blend."

Plastering a smile on her face, Serena replied, "Maybe next time."

After serving Madeline and asking her if she needed anything further, Janice picked up the tray and exited the room.

As Madeline added a lump of sugar to her cup and stirred, Serena pulled her laptop out of her bag and said, "I'd like to show you something."

Madeline took a sip of her tea and responded simply, "All right." She put on her glasses.

Serena opened up the email and then sat beside her on the loveseat. Madeline's expression changed from a look of shock to a frown as she read the email and viewed the pictures. After several moments of silence, she pursed her lips and finally said, "It seems like our girls have an enemy."

Serena looked at her in awe. "That's it? You're not angry that our daughters are in a lesbian relationship? I told you they were more than just friends but you wouldn't listen!"

Madeline sighed. She decided to choose her words very carefully because she didn't want to add fuel to the fire. "I'm not going to say that I'm comfortable with these photos, but I'm also not going to say that I will love Alex any less because of them. Clearly someone has ulterior motives by sending them to you in the first place."

Mouth agape, Serena exclaimed, "All you can say is that you're not comfortable? You're not worried about the scandal this will bring on your family? Who knows how many other people have received this email? I thought you'd be furious!"

"That's obviously the reaction the sender wants us to have. I refuse to satisfy this troublemaker's bloodlust."

Serena stood up and started pacing back and forth in front of Madeline. Against her better judgment, denial set in again. "Perhaps this is just a phase or…or maybe just their idea of fun experimentation. I mean…it's Spring Break, right? That's the time several girls get a little wild and crazy and do stuff they wouldn't normally do."

Madeline realized that she would've tried to make the same rationalizations if they hadn't already confessed their love for each other to her. "It could be," she lied. "But will you honestly love Olivia any less if it's more than that?"

Serena frowned. "It _cannot_ be more than that," she said through gritted teeth.

Madeline folded her arms. "And why is that?"

Serena narrowed her eyes. "You seem to be on their side."

"I'm just trying not to let my emotions cloud my judgment. You never answered my question. If Olivia is a lesbian and truly in love with Alex, would you stop loving her?"

"It's not about love," Serena spat. "It's unnatural and a disgrace. They are both beautiful girls; they could have any guy they wanted! In fact, Olivia has had boyfriends before, so she cannot be a lesbian. She has to be at least somewhat normal."

"If she is a lesbian, she is still normal, Serena. She may have only dated boys because it was what was expected of her and in that case, trying to mold herself into something she wasn't is what was abnormal. Maybe she stopped denying who she really was and is happy now. Teens are under an enormous amount of pressure to conform. It has to be scary to deal with a different sexuality from the majority on top of all the other problems teens face day to day."

Serena shook her head regretfully. "This is my fault anyway. If I had been a good mother to her, she wouldn't have needed to turn to another female."

Madeline raised her eyebrows. "You really think it's about that? I know a woman whose daughter is homosexual and she is the model example of what a mother should be. In fact, she and her daughter are best friends."

"If it's not that, her aversion to men stems from the fact that she hates her father and thinks he's representative of all men."

"I don't believe that. Isn't she good friends with that fellow Elliot Stabler? And you said yourself that she's had boyfriends before, so how is it possible that she hates men?"

Serena glared at her. "Why do you insist on glorifying this behavior?"

"Why do _you_ insist on condemning it? You're contradicting yourself. By your logic she'd be asexual; she'd hate women because of your parenting and men because of her father. If she's gay, she doesn't need a reason to be any more than we need a reason to be heterosexual. She just is and nothing can change that. You either accept her or remain upset with her the rest of your life. Besides, you could very easily be blowing this whole thing out of proportion."

Serena cocked her head and folded her arms. "Sounds to me like you've suspected this about your own daughter longer than you care to admit."

"It's just that my opinions have evolved with the times," Madeline said, not caring to divulge anything more than she needed.

Serena noticed that she was being cryptic but wanted to push her anyway. "Is Alex a lesbian?" she asked pointedly.

Madeline said sternly, "I'd have no way of knowing. That is none of my business and certainly none of yours."

"A mother has a right to know what her daughter is doing!" Serena snarled.

"Yes…but as long as she's safe, she's happy, and she's not breaking the law, that's all that matters to me."

"Our daughters are kissing in public, grabbing each other's breasts, and practically having sex and you don't think they're breaking the law?" Serena asked indignantly.

"As you said, it's a beach and it's Spring Break. I'm sure a lot of that is going on."

"I never would've allowed Olivia to go on vacation with Alex if I knew this was their whole intention! They're probably having sex right now! In fact, I never would've allowed her to associate with her at all!"

"What exactly are you saying, Serena?" Madeline asked, glaring at her. "That my daughter somehow turned yours into a lesbian?"

"I wouldn't put it past her!" Serena retorted.

Madeline stood up to meet her eye to eye. "No one turned anyone into a lesbian and I deplore your baseless accusations. How do you even know Alex is the first girl she's been with?"

"I don't know, but I'll damn well find out," Serena growled, snatching her laptop and storming through the foyer. She hadn't expected Madeline to be so blasé about it, let alone defend them. She had expected her to be even angrier than she was since her family's name had a lot more at stake. Since that plan had clearly backfired, she was afraid that Madeline would give the girls a heads up and they would deny, deny, deny if confronted. Now she knew she'd have to come up with another strategy if she actually wanted to catch and discipline them herself.

Madeline rushed after her. "Serena! Serena, wait!" However, it was to no avail. Serena jumped in her car and sped off down the driveway without so much as giving her another glance.

* * *

"Alex, not another two-inch skirt!" Olivia protested sarcastically, gawking at her light blue frilly, layered skirt.

Alex grinned. "I thought I'd show a little leg."

"I didn't know your ass was part of your leg, too!" Olivia responded.

"But you like my ass," Alex said, pulling her to her and kissing her.

"No, baby. Not the tongue thing," Olivia said, pulling back.

"You love it when I do that little trick," Alex grinned, taking another step toward her.

Olivia giggled and turned her back to Alex. "You're just tryna make me give in."

"Look at Olivia Benson giggling like a schoolgirl," Casey teased.

Alex jumped on her back. "I can put my tongue other places," she murmured, snaking her tongue behind her ear.

"I see London, I see France…" Serena began singing.

Olivia's eyes slammed shut as she tried her hardest not to moan.

"…I see Olivia wetting her underpants," Casey finished dryly.

Alex laughed and Olivia opened her eyes. "I'm not getting wet," she insisted.

Alex smirked. "Right."

Olivia grabbed Alex around the waist with one arm and pulled her off her back. "Enough playing for you now."

"I see Alex's tighty whities," Casey observed.

"Nice cheekies," Serena said. "The lace is sexy. I have a pair like yours but mine are pink."

"And mine are green," Casey said.

"Lime green or normal green?" Alex asked.

"Lime. I wanted to be exotic," Casey said with a grin.

"Cute," Alex responded. "Liv also has a pair. You should see how cute her ass looks in—"

"Yes, let's all stand around and talk about our underwear," Olivia interrupted with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Alex pinched Olivia's nose. "If you're a good girl tonight, I'll let you lick the lace."

Olivia flushed red. "Alex…don't tease me in front of them."

Alex bent over and shook her ass at her. Looking over her shoulder and seeing the look of complete horror mixed with arousal on Olivia's face, she laughed and said, "Nah, teasing would be what I just did."

"Baby, your ass cheeks are showing!" Olivia shouted.

"That's why they call these panties cheekies," Alex said with a wink.

"Don't you have a longer skirt?" Olivia demanded.

"You're one to talk. Your shorts are pretty short," Alex said.

"But when I bend over no one sees my ass!"

"But we can certainly see your nipples about to pop through that tank," Casey murmured.

Olivia looked down and said, "This is Alex's fault! And anyway, it has a built-in bra."

Serena smiled at Casey and said, "So much for that."

Alex reached out to tweak a nipple. Olivia swatted her hand away and protested, "You're making it worse!"

Alex licked her lips. "It's your fault because you won't wear bras."

"I do, too wear bras! Well…when the occasion calls for it," Olivia replied.

"And _I_ wear longer skirts. Well…when the occasion calls for it," Alex mimicked, smiling and folding her arms satisfactorily.

"I'm going to have to walk behind you the whole way…" Olivia whined.

Alex's smile widened. "Good. That way no one can stare at your tits."

Casey smirked at Serena and said, "Nice to see they've reached a fair tradeoff."

Alex reached out and twisted the other nipple. She yelped as Olivia responded with a slap on her ass.

"As much as I'd love to stand around and continue watching the two of you play fondle tag, we really need to get the alcohol," Casey said.

"Don't forget hot dogs and marshmallows to roast!" Alex chimed in.

"I want s'mores, too," Serena said.

"I want to get out of here sometime tonight," Casey replied.

Alex grabbed her handbag and slid the straps over her arm. "Ok, ok. Where are my keys?"

"On the table," Olivia informed her.

As they were getting in Alex's Range Rover, Olivia looked at her and exclaimed, "I just saw all your ass when you got in!"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! You did not!" She put on her seatbelt and drove away from the hotel.

As they were on the way to the grocery store, Olivia pressed the voice command button and said, "Lengthen Alex's skirt."

Casey and Serena laughed from the backseat while Alex groaned. She pushed Olivia's finger away and said, "Someone will go to bed horny if she keeps this up."

Olivia grinned. "Oh, really?" She started slowly stroking up and down the length of Alex's thigh.

Alex turned bright red. "Liv, I can't drive while you're doing that!"

Casey leaned over to Serena and whispered, "Light blue is not the color you want to be wearing if you have a big ol' wet spot."

"I heard that!" Alex exclaimed. She pushed Olivia's hand away.

Traffic was heavy and they rode in silence for a few more minutes. Well, that is until moans were heard. Olivia crinkled her forehead and turned around while Alex looked in her rearview mirror. Casey and Serena were busy making out and caressing each other's bodies.

Alex cleared her throat loudly. "Don't mind us!"

"Can I make a bet on who orgasms first?" Olivia joked.

They ignored them. Olivia grinned at Alex and started to slide her hand over to her.

Alex grabbed her wrist as they rolled to a stop. "One romp at a time! This isn't the sexmobile."

"Hey! I just wanna put my hand on your knee!" Olivia insisted with a laugh.

Alex smiled and released her wrist. "Ok."

"You know I was just messin' with ya earlier," Olivia said, drumming her fingers against her knee. "I think the lace cheekies are cute…and sexy. So is your skirt."

"I know," Alex said, reaching out to stroke her hair. Olivia suddenly got a pensive look. Alex stole a glance at her as they started moving again and asked, "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"You think anything will come outta that fight with Abbie?"

Alex squeezed her hand reassuringly. "No, she's just talking shit."

"Maybe…but I just have a bad feeling about things."

"That's just gas," Alex joked.

Olivia laughed. "Let's hope so." She turned her head to gaze out the window. As the colors and lights of the city whizzed by, she tried to shake her feeling and concentrate on the great week that was in store for them.


	59. Sticks and Stones

**Chapter 59: Sticks and Stones**

"How 'bout we make a toast?" Olivia asked. She picked up her shot glass and the others followed suit.

"What are we toasting to?" Casey asked.

"To an awesome Spring Break full of fun, waves, and being with the girl we love," Olivia said with a huge smile.

"Don't forget hot sex!" Serena said.

"Hear, hear," Alex said, clinking her glass against the others. They all drank their shots and then she reached for the raspberry and vanilla bottles of Smirnoff. "Hmm…I wonder what will happen if I mix these."

"Yummy will happen," Casey said matter-of-factly.

"Try the raspberry and green apple. Your taste buds will explode," Serena said.

"How about I try all three?" Alex said with a twinkle in her eye.

Serena laughed. "That'll work, too!"

Alex mixed them all together and downed her shot. "Oh, I just had an orgasm." She looked at Olivia and grinned. "Sorry, babe."

Olivia threw some sand at her. "Hey, I'm gonna have to kick Smirnoff's ass!" she joked.

Alex's stomach growled and everyone grinned. She leaned over and grabbed Olivia's arm. "Sweetie, will you roast a hotdog for me?"

Smirking, Olivia reached for the bag of hotdogs. "Figured you'd only want me for my roasting skills."

"Oh, and a marshmallow, too! I wanna make a s'more!" Alex added.

Olivia playfully rolled her eyes and said, "Ok. But you owe me."

Alex smiled slyly. "You know I always pay my debts in full."

"How many s'mores are you gonna eat, Alex? You already had three!" Serena mused.

"Oh, I'm just warming up," Alex said, winking at her.

"I, for one, am glad we got two bags of marshmallows," Casey commented.

"Me, too," Serena agreed.

Alex's mouth dropped open in shock as she saw Olivia thrust a stick into a hotdog. "Liv, use a wooden skewer!"

"Babe, we're on the beach! We should be one with nature," Olivia replied.

"I don't want bark in my hotdog and certainly not my marshmallow! Besides, the skewers are clean. That's why I used them earlier."

Olivia rolled her eyes and took a swig of her beer. She took the stick out and threw it on top of the branches to burn. "You're such a girl."

Alex smirked and handed her a skewer. "Last time I checked, so were you."

Olivia grinned and stole a kiss as she held the hotdog over the flames. "If I'm not, then we've got big problems, my dear."

"Speaking of problems…" Alex started, kneeling behind her. She reached around to her stomach and began tickling her under her shirt.

Giggling, Olivia used her free hand to push Alex's roaming fingers away. "Hey, don't tickle the cook!"

Serena laughed. "Can't we all just get along in perfect s'more and hotdog harmony?"

"Apparently not," Casey replied.

Serena placed her head on her girlfriend's shoulder and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Well, I think _we_ certainly can."

Casey softly kissed the top of her head. "I wish we could spend the whole night out here."

"Me, too," Serena agreed, sighing happily. "Cuddling under a blanket, stargazing, waking up toge—"

"Oh my god, Liv, my hotdog is on fire!" Alex exclaimed.

Casey rolled her eyes. "So much for being in the moment," she muttered.

Serena laughed softly. "I know."

After blowing it out, Olivia said, "Alex, I was trying to get it to cook faster! I wasn't going to let it get burnt to a crisp!"

"I'm roasting my own marshmallow," Alex announced, cautiously picking pieces of burnt skin off the hotdog.

"Careful not to burn your fingers, sweetie," Olivia advised, getting her a bun.

Alex smiled and quickly transferred the hotdog to it. After taking a bite, she said, "Mmm…pretty tasty for something that almost became ash."

"It's supposed to have a smoky flavor, Alex," Serena informed her.

"I know," Alex said around her mouthful. "But smoky does not equal burnt." When she finished her hotdog, she skewered a marshmallow and held it over the fire.

"Babe, stop holding the marshmallow over the flame like it's a delicate little flower," Olivia ordered. She reached for the skewer but Alex moved her arm out of her reach.

"Mine _is_ a delicate little flower," she informed her. "She cannot be burnt black."

"At the end of the day, your marshmallow won't taste any different from mine," Olivia replied.

"Ha! I beg to differ!" Alex said. When her marshmallow was ready, she showed it to her and said, "See, Liv! This is the definition of lightly toasted." She carefully slid it onto her Hershey bar and placed a piece of graham cracker on top.

"It's funny how she's so dainty about it all until it hits her mouth," Casey said.

Olivia laughed as she watched Alex devour her s'more. "Tell me about it." She wiped some chocolate from the side of her mouth and said, "Don't wanna miss any."

Alex sucked the chocolate from her finger and said, "Damn skippy."

"Well, I'm gonna roast marshmallows for me and Serena the old fashioned way," Casey announced, reaching for a stick.

Olivia high-fived her. "Right on!"

Alex passed her the bag of marshmallows. "Be my guest."

Olivia roasted her own hotdog and took a few more swallows of her beer. Alex grabbed the can out of her hand and took a sip. Then she reached for the raspberry Smirnoff again.

"Alex…let's mix it with Sprite or cranberry juice next. You don't want to be puking your guts out in the middle of the night," Olivia said.

Alex shrugged. "Ok."

Olivia mixed a shot of raspberry vodka with cranberry juice. Alex downed it in one swift gulp. "Oh, wow! That's delicious, Liv!"

Serena poured the same shots for herself and Casey. "I agree," Casey said.

A few minutes later, Olivia noticed that Alex's eyes were getting glassy. "Sweetie, you feelin' ok?"

"I feel great!" Alex said, rising to her feet. She started doing cartwheels. "In fact, I feel like happy!"

"Like happy? Oh, boy," Casey said, shaking her head.

Each time she did a cartwheel, her skirt rose up all the way. "Alex, we can see your ass!" Olivia exclaimed.

Alex tumbled into a heap on the sand and stretched out her arms above her head. "The sky looks so dark tonight. It's sexy. Does anyone think the sand feels like worms?"

Serena laughed. "Alex is so drunk."

"Yeah, I guess it just hit her," Casey said.

Alex sat up and tried to pour herself a shot of green apple vodka. Somehow more ended up on her shirt and the sand than in the shot glass. Before she could tilt her head back, Olivia took the glass from her and said, "Baby, I think you've had enough tonight." She poured it out on the sand.

Frowning, Alex put the bottle of vanilla to her lips but Olivia snatched it away from her before she'd barely taken a sip. Serena and Casey giggled as they watched the scene unfold.

"Livvie, give me back my drinkie!" Alex whined. She giggled. "I made a rhyme. No! Make that rhymie."

"No," Olivia said in a sterner tone. "Any more vodka and you'll be out all day tomorrow."

"You just think you can drink me under the table," Alex accused.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "This isn't a contest."

Alex grinned and straddled her waist. "How about if I take a shot of your cum instead?"

Casey and Serena's hands both flew to their mouths. "Did she just say what I think she did?" Casey whispered.

"Uh…if I'm not mistaken," Serena answered.

Olivia turned beet red. She quickly glanced at Serena and Casey and then back at Alex. "Sweetie, I don't think this is the appropriate time to have this conversation."

Alex ignored her. "You guys should…should see Liv when she comes. I'm talkin' waterfalls. Almost drowns me."

Olivia was starting to get angry. She clenched her jaw and looked her in the eye. "Alex, don't say another word."

Alex turned to Serena and Casey. "She makes the cutest little face when she's about to come. I'm gonna take her home and fuck the spit out of her."

Casey burst out laughing. "Don't you mean shit?"

Alex looked confused for a minute before replying, "Oh…um, that too I guess."

Serena joined Casey in laughter, even though she saw that Olivia was not amused in the slightest. In fact, she looked as if she were about to blow a gasket any minute.

Alex completely ignored the warning signs. "My birthday was crazy. Olivia had this big purple vibe and kept telling me how tight my pussy was. Then she handcuffed me and whipped me with her crop while making me call her Detective Ben—"

"Um…way too much info," Casey interrupted.

"Enough, Alex!" Olivia yelled.

Alex held her face in her hands and tried to kiss her but Olivia turned away. "What's wrong, Livvie?" She reached out and grabbed her breasts. "Hello, little pookies. My, how hard you are tonight."

"Pokies, Alex, _pokies_," Olivia snapped, glaring at her and pushing her hands away.

"Pookies, pokies? Who cares? They're making me horny," Alex said. She leaned over Olivia and sloppily tried to give her a hickey while sliding her hand in her shorts.

Olivia pushed her off her lap, stood up, and started walking away. After taking a long sip from her girlfriend's can of beer, Alex staggered to her feet and began to follow her while almost tripping and falling to the sand. When she finally caught up with her, she grabbed her arm and said, "Why are y-you leaving m-me?"

Olivia yanked her arm away and kept walking.

"Liv, stop!" Alex ordered, reaching for her again and missing. She picked up her pace. "Why are you ignoring me?"

Olivia turned around and screamed, "Because you're acting like my mother!"

"Y-your mom's a bwitch," Alex slurred. "I'm n-not."

"And you sound just like her! Slurring your speech!" She began crying. "I can't believe you of all people would do this to me."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! Like you've never been dwunk. Stop whining and let's just fuck." She leaned forward and lazily tried to hug her.

Olivia pushed her arms away, turned back around, and started walking again. "I'm not putting up with this shit."

"Fuck you, then!" Alex screamed, standing in her spot. "I don't need you!"

Serena touched Casey's back and said, "This looks like it could get ugly. I'll try to divert an impending disaster."

"You need backup?" Casey asked.

Serena smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll call if I need it."

"Olivia Benson, you come back here!" Alex shouted, balling up her fists.

Olivia kept walking and ignored her. Serena walked up to Alex and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Alex, stop making an ass of yourself."

Alex yanked herself out of her grasp so fast that she would've stumbled to the ground if Serena hadn't caught her. "Liv's the ass! How dare she walk away fr-from me?"

Serena swung Alex around to face her and shook her shoulders. "Stop! You're drunk and going to say something you'll regret."

Alex ignored her. "You can't control me!" she screamed at Olivia's retreating back. "I'll wear what I want and drink what I want!" She turned to Serena and draped her arms across her shoulders. Grinning, she asked, "How about you, me, and Casey go sk-skinny dipping?"

Serena moved back to avoid the strong stench of the alcohol on her breath. "How about we _don't_."

"Come on, Rena. Then I can see if her carpet matches her drapes," Alex said with a giggle. "I hear firecrotches are in these days."

Casey frowned and shouted, "Shut up, Alex! You're not being funny."

Serena glared at her. "Don't you dare talk about my girlfriend that way."

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Alex asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Funny, I could ask you the same thing," Serena snapped.

Alex turned away from her. "I'm gonna strip naked and find someone else to go skinny dipping with then!" she shouted loud enough for Olivia to hear. "Maybe I'll fuck 'em while I'm at it!"

Olivia turned around just as Alex reached under her skirt and tried to remove her underwear. She cried even harder. "I can't believe you're acting so slutty and mean!" she yelled.

"Believe it! And there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Alex shouted back while Serena pushed her hands away. When she saw that she wasn't going to be able to remove her panties, she tried to pull off her shirt and bra instead.

Serena continued to thwart her efforts. "Alexandra Cabot, stop acting like an asshole!"

"You're an asshole!" Alex retorted. She stopped fighting Serena's hands when she looked up to see Olivia glaring at her in the distance. Olivia shook her head in disgust and turned around to walk away again.

Casey got up from her spot and ran after her. "Hey, Liv…I know Alex is being a major bitch, but you have to understand she's just really drunk right now."

Olivia wiped away her tears. "But she's acting like my mom," she said in a small voice.

"Sweetie, it will blow over," Casey said, pulling her into a deep embrace.

As if she wasn't already furious enough at the hug, Alex saw Casey brush Olivia's hair out of her eyes and kiss her on the forehead. "Oh, so you can hug her but not me? Well, fuck you, Olivia fucking Benson! Go to hell! Casey, you can have her!"

"Alex, shut the fuck up!" Serena shouted. "She's just trying to comfort her!"

"I can't believe you're letting Casey d-do that," Alex said to Serena. "She kissed my girl…girlfriend. Soon they'll be making out!"

"It was a kiss on the forehead, Alex!" Serena snapped.

"Come on, Liv," Casey said, taking her hand. "Let's leave her to yell at herself."

Alex became even more infuriated at seeing them hold hands as they walked away. She took off her ring and yelled at Olivia, "She can comfort you even more now that you're single! And when we get home, you can pack your bags and go right back to your drunken mother!" And with that, she threw the ring at Olivia's back.

The ring hitting her back almost split Olivia's heart in two. She felt like it had penetrated her flesh and pierced directly through her heart. It hurt more than the vicious words Alex had said to her. It wasn't that the ring had physically hurt her other than a small sting because of the distance from which it was thrown and the force. It was the stabbing, emotional pain that resulted from an act so cruel and reckless that she never thought could come from the girl she loved more than life itself.

She slowly turned around and collapsed to the ground in a heap of tears as she tried to retrieve the ring from the sand. She wished she could sink right along with it. "I…I spent all my savings on these rings," she gasped between her cries.

"Oh, Liv…I am so sorry," Casey sympathized, getting down on the ground to help her look.

Serena glared at her as Alex stood there stunned, not even sure why she had done that herself. "Nice going, Alex!" she snarled. She left her to stand there as she ran off to Olivia and Casey.

Alex's lower lip started to tremble as the gravity of what she'd done hit her like a ton of bricks. "Baby, I'm sorry!" she screamed as she tried to make her way to her.

Ignoring her apologies, Olivia pushed more sand away until she saw the ring. Her body wracked with more sobs as she shakily picked it up.

The sight of it broke Alex's heart over and over again. "What have I done? Oh, god…" she cried as her eyes welled up with tears. Each step closer to Olivia seemed like a mile. Her legs felt like lead.

Serena wrapped her arms around Olivia while Casey soothingly stroked her hair. "It'll be ok," Casey assured her.

"Yeah, Alex is just being a royal jackass," Serena added, throwing another glare at her as she approached. "I'm sure she didn't mean any of it."

"Yes, she did!" Olivia accused, frantically wiping her nose.

Alex stopped a few feet away from them. "Liv?" she said cautiously.

Olivia couldn't even look at her. "Just leave me alone," she said weakly.

Casey looked up. "Alex, you've done enough damage for the night. Just stop before you do more."

Tears started streaming down Alex's face. "Sweetie, I really am sorry." She took a step closer. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she repeated.

"Alex!" Serena shouted. "Just go."

Defeated, Alex slumped her shoulders and started to walk away. She'd never seen Olivia so crushed or her friends that angry at her. Hearing the harsh words Serena and Casey had said hurt, but not nearly as much as the thought that she'd lost Olivia for good. She couldn't believe she'd been so stupid.

Serena looked at Casey and said, "I'll see her back to her hotel room. She's so drunk she probably won't be able to get her keycard in the door."

Casey nodded. "Ok."

Serena ran up to Alex and grabbed her arm to steady her. The walk back to their spot on the beach was silent. She picked up her purse and handed it to her. "Let's go," she said coldly.

Alex turned around and looked at Olivia one last time. Their eyes happened to meet and the look Olivia gave her crushed her soul. Olivia tore her eyes away and put the ring in her pocket. All Alex could hope was that she wouldn't take off her own ring as well. She suddenly felt Serena tugging her away.

"_Now_, Alex," she growled.

The night air, earlier just a cool breeze, now seemed to chill her to the bone. As Serena led her back to the hotel, she felt like she was taking the biggest walk of shame she'd ever walk in her life.

"How could she do something like this?" Olivia asked Casey.

"Liv…people do shitty stuff when they're drunk," Casey said, rubbing her back. "Alex might not even remember a thing come morning."

"This was supposed to be our dream vacation," Olivia sobbed. "Now it's just turned into a nightmare."

"Well, look at it this way. We still have an entire week left. I'm sure you two will be back to normal in no time. Don't think of the whole thing as ruined."

Olivia looked down at the ring still on her finger. "I should just throw these in the ocean," she mumbled.

Casey squeezed her shoulder. "No, you shouldn't."

As much as she wanted to take off the ring, something inside her just wouldn't let her. She looked down at her necklaces and fingered the small jewels of the one she shared with Alex. "Whenever I feel like my life is finally getting better, something always happens to make everything fall apart."

"It is getting better," Casey told her. "This is just a little bump in the road. You two are too strong and love each other way too much to let something like this permanently keep you apart."

"I know I've done a lot to hurt her…" Olivia trailed off. "So part of me feels like this was some form of subconscious payback." She sniffled. "I guess I deserve it, huh?"

"No, sweetie. You don't. But I think it was just the alcohol talking because she attacked Serena and me, too. It can't be payback because we've never done a thing to her."

"Can I stay with you guys tonight?" Olivia asked, wiping the vestiges of her tears.

"Of course you can, sweetie," Casey replied.

"Thank you," Olivia said, giving her a hug. "I don't know what I would've done without you and Serena."

Casey returned her embrace. "Well, I know you would've done the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot. Just think of it as returning the favor for you not letting me destroy my relationship at Alex's party."

Although she was still so hurt and angry with Alex and part of her wanted to remain that way, another part of her hoped they would make it through this. She knew they'd experienced too much together to just have it all end now. She pulled back and asked, "Do you really think we'll be ok?"

Casey smiled. "With the two of you, I _know_ so."


	60. Love and War

**Chapter 60: Love and War**

Alex woke up the next morning with an incredible headache. The first thing she noticed was that her ring was missing and the second was that Olivia was not beside her...or even in the room. She threw back the covers and forced herself to throw her legs over the side of the bed. When she stood up, her head started swimming. She had to hold on to the nightstand until the dizziness subsided and she could make her legs function.

She saw that the bathroom door was closed and knocked gently on it. "Liv, you in there?"

When she heard no answer, she tried the doorknob to see if it was locked. It opened easily and she went inside to investigate. Still no sign of Liv. "Where could she be?" she muttered. She also wondered why she was in the same outfit she had on the previous night. After taking a couple aspirin, she brushed her teeth and decided to go next door.

After about a minute of knocking, Serena came to the door in her pajamas. She certainly didn't look like she was in a good mood. Of course, Alex just attributed it to being woken up early in the morning by her banging on the door. "Where's Liv? Did she go to breakfast without me?"

"No," Serena answered curtly.

Alex was put off by her attitude. "So where is she?" she asked again, getting scared. "Did something happen to her? Is she ok? Did she decide to catch some early waves?"

"She's inside and she's fine."

Alex breathed a deep sigh of relief; it didn't dawn on her that Olivia hadn't even slept in the same bed with her. She just assumed she'd gotten up early, showered, and decided to go to Serena and Casey's room to chat so as not to wake her. "My head feels like it's going to split in two," she groaned. "What happened?"

"You got drunk off your ass," Serena informed her, folding her arms.

Alex looked at her in confusion. "Drunk? What…?"

"Yes. Piss ass fucking drunk."

Alex looked at her hand again and suddenly remembered the other reason she'd knocked on their door. "Did I…did I lose my ring?" she asked, trying not to panic as tears began streaming down her face.

"No, you just threw it at Olivia because you accused her of wanting Casey!" Serena snapped, turning red.

Alex wrinkled her brow. Her mind was still in a haze and the details of the previous night were jumbled. "What? Why would I do that?"

"People do irrational shit when they're drunk. That's why we told you to stop before you did something you would regret."

Momentarily forgetting her headache, Alex slapped her forehead and then winced at the pain. "Oh my god, I can't believe I took my ring off! How did the fight start?"

"She was actually trying to get away from you," Serena replied. "But you said a lot of hurtful things and just wouldn't let up. You started talking about your sex life and then when she walked away, you tried to strip so you could go skinny dipping and threatened to have sex with someone else."

Alex's heart started pounding in her chest. "Please, I have to see her!" she said, trying to push her way into their room.

Casey came to the door and stood beside Serena. "Alex, just go back to your room. Liv's not ready to talk to you."

Alex cried harder. "Please, you guys! I'll do anything! I just need to talk to her. I need to explain…"

"Explain what?" Casey asked. "Why you treated us all like shit last night? What was it you said? Oh, right. You wanted Serena and me to go skinny dipping with you so you could see if I was a firecrotch. And you accused me of trying to make out with Liv!"

"But I didn't know how drunk I was…" Alex said helplessly. "I'm sorry."

All the commotion woke Olivia up. She groaned when she heard Alex's voice.

Serena sighed. She could see how remorseful Alex was and began to feel a bit sorry for her. "Why don't you come back later in the day?" she said in a softer tone. "Now's not a good time."

Olivia walked up to the door and held up a hand. "No, it's ok, guys. I really appreciate your generosity and how you stood up for me, but I think I got it from here."

Alex looked at her hand and felt comforted that she hadn't removed her ring. But the comfort didn't last long when she saw the disappointment and sadness in her eyes.

"You sure, Liv?" Casey asked.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah."

"If you need anything, come right over," Serena said.

Olivia flashed a smile. "I will." She followed Alex into their room.

No sooner had the door closed did Alex say, "Baby, I'm so sorry for everything I said and did to hurt you. I wish I'd never gotten so wasted!"

"How I wish that were the case, too," Olivia replied. "You dumped me, told me to go back to my 'drunken mother' when we get home, and threw your ring at my back."

Alex sobbed even more. "I just…oh, Liv, please forgive me. You know I didn't mean any of those things, right?"

Olivia felt her own tears start to fall. "They say a drunk mouth speaks a sober heart."

"But that's not always true! You have to believe me, baby!" Alex desperately cried.

Olivia sighed. "I…I don't know what to believe."

Alex grabbed her hands. "Baby, I'd never want you to go back to your mom when I know how she treats you! I'd never actually want you to be in danger and you know I'd never want to take my ring off!"

"I thought I knew it…but you did. It was like you didn't even love me," Olivia replied, her voice choking up.

"I love you more than anything!" Alex insisted, squeezing her hands tighter.

Olivia looked down but didn't try to pull away. "I don't quite understand…you've been drunk before and you've never acted that way. It made me think you just had some suppressed anger from the times I've hurt you."

"Did I mention anything we'd ever fought about?"

"No…" Olivia said. She hadn't thought about that.

"If I had been suppressing my anger then I would've thrown things back in your face."

Olivia had to suppress a smirk. _She'll make a good lawyer_, she thought. "Well, you were still being really mean."

"Did I start off being mean?"

"No, you started off telling very intimate details about our sex life. I got upset and walked away, which in turn pissed you off. Then it all went downhill from there."

"I was drunk and not thinking rationally…that's where the anger came from. I misconstrued things and blew them out of proportion."

Olivia sighed again. "Yeah, Alex…but what you don't understand is that when I saw you like that last night, I had zero attraction for you." She saw her face completely fall at that point and felt bad for saying it, but she knew she had to continue because she was always honest with Alex. "You weren't the Alex I know and love. You were some completely different person—yelling at me, insulting me, slurring your speech, acting shady—all because you were drunk. In short, you were my mother."

Alex felt like collapsing through the floor as her memory of the night before started clearing up. As each event pieced itself together in her mind with what Olivia and her friends had told her, she felt more and more horrified at her rash behavior. "I hate that I put you through that. When I think about how shitty she treats you, it breaks my heart. Now it breaks it even more to know that I could ever remind you of her."

"It was a nightmare," Olivia responded. "You taunted me, kept trying to take off your clothes, and you even said you'd cheat on me."

"Liv, do you honestly think I could cheat? Even when we were broken up, I couldn't get into my kiss with Lexie, so how do you think I'd be able to get through actual sex with someone else?"

"Making the threat is still hurtful enough, even if you'd never act on it. Besides, you were sober with Lexie."

"But Liv, I've never slept with anyone while drunk—even before we were together! Is it really fair to judge my entire character on one night's random outbursts?"

"Alex, if it hadn't been for Serena stopping you, you would've stripped buck naked right there on the beach."

Alex closed her eyes as more tears slid down her cheeks. She had never felt so ashamed in her life. "But I wasn't trying to kiss or have sex with anyone," she said, desperate for Olivia to believe her. "Why can't you get that it was just me saying bitchy things to get a rise out of you that I'd never have the intention of doing?"

"Alex…" Olivia looked off to the side before meeting her eyes again. "I don't even know what to say."

"Haven't you said things to me you didn't mean? Like when you said that I don't play real sports? And when you said to me, 'Dick's not so bad. Maybe you oughta try it sometime?'"

Olivia sighed. "Fair enough. But…"

"But what? It hurts so much to think that you think I have a desire to cheat on you…and I don't," Alex sobbed. "I don't know how I can make you believe me!"

Olivia brushed a tear away from Alex's face. "I don't really think that…I guess I just couldn't get past my hurt."

Alex felt a wave of nausea rising. "I think I'm going to be sick!" she exclaimed, holding her stomach and running to the bathroom.

Olivia stood in the room and listened to Alex wretch up the contents of her stomach. After a minute of withstanding her cries of misery, she went in with her. Even though she was still hurting, she wanted to take care of her. As Alex continued to vomit, she pulled her hair back and held it with one hand. With the other, she gently stroked an arm.

"I've never been this sick before," she whined. "I feel like I'm dying!"

"Then don't drink so much next time," Olivia responded in a voice that was soft and firm, but surprisingly not accusatory.

"I can't believe I was such a fool," Alex replied. Another wave of nausea hit her and she quickly turned back to the toilet and heaved again. After wiping her mouth and gasping for air, she finished, "And I can't believe I was such a bitch to you."

Olivia could clearly see how awful Alex felt and her anger started to subside. She realized she'd felt the same way when she'd hurt Alex and was begging for forgiveness. It was like looking into a mirror. She recognized the fear, pain, remorse, and desperation. "We all make mistakes," she assured her.

"Do you still love me?" Alex asked, scared and tearful.

"Of course I do."

"Thank you," she said softly. Gripping the toilet seat as the vomit rose in her throat again, she prepared herself for another round.

When Olivia was sure she didn't have anything left, she said, "Come on. Let's get you in the shower." She took her arm and gently pulled her off the floor.

Alex lifted her arms so Olivia could undress her. "I can't believe I've been in the same clothes since last night."

"Better you in them than out," Olivia said with a twinge of bitterness in her voice.

Alex looked like she'd just been kicked in the stomach. "Liv, I wish I could just erase it all. You don't know how sor—"

"I know," Olivia quickly interrupted.

Alex was even more hurt that she had cut her off. She silently grabbed their toothbrushes and opened the shower door.

Olivia leaned in to turn the handle and guided Alex under the spray. She took a few seconds to strip off her own clothes and then joined her. When Alex gave her a surprised but welcome look, she explained, "Well, it's not like we haven't seen each other naked."

Alex gave a small laugh. "Yeah, that's true."

Olivia grabbed the body wash and flipped up the cap. After pouring it on the pouf, she began to wash Alex's back.

"I hate that I ruined our pact about not arguing anymore during Spring Break," Alex said.

"Well, no one could've anticipated this," Olivia replied, moving the pouf to her torso.

"That kinda tickles," Alex said as the tips of Olivia's fingers brushed her stomach.

Olivia smirked. "Yes, bath poufs are now the hottest new sex toy."

Alex was reminded of the explicit things she'd revealed about her birthday. "I really hate that I embarrassed you by talking about the vibrators and stuff."

Olivia gave a dry laugh. "I think Serena and Casey were scarred for life by that info."

Alex laughed. "They probably secretly took notes, though. I bet they'll have their own collection in about a week."

After they'd been in the shower for a few more minutes, she wrapped her arms around Olivia's neck and held on tight. "Have I ruined everything we had?" she asked.

Olivia cautiously brought her arms up to embrace her. "No."

"I was so scared I'd never feel you holding me again," Alex said in a small voice.

"I've felt that way several times," Olivia confessed. "So I understand."

Filled with joy and relief, Alex wiggled closer to her and began drumming her fingers at the nape of her neck.

Olivia giggled; she'd always liked when Alex did that. "I'm supposed to still be livid at you."

Alex held her tighter. "But I'm so cuddly."

"As cuddly as a skinny girl could be."

Smiling, Alex broke away from her and gently turned her around. Then she poured some shampoo in her hand and massaged it into Olivia's hair.

Olivia tilted her head back and relaxed. "I'm only forgiving you because of your shampooing skills," she joked.

"Then I'll do this all day if I have to," Alex replied.

After her hair was rinsed, Olivia returned the favor. Alex suddenly heard her chuckling. She turned around to look at her and asked, "What's so funny?"

"I just remembered that you called the pokies 'pookies' last night."

Alex leaned down to kiss her nipples. "Oh babies, I'm sorry."

"Hey, no freaky stuff," Olivia said, suppressing a shiver.

Alex turned her around again. Olivia looked over her shoulder curiously as she began washing her back. "I think you just wanna stare at my ass."

Alex brought the pouf down her spine and said, "Damn! Busted!"

When they returned to the bedroom several minutes later, Olivia unzipped Alex's suitcase and pulled out her pajamas and some underwear. After handing them to her, she opened up her duffle bag and pulled out underwear, a tank top, and gym shorts for herself.

"We really need to put our stuff in the closet," Alex said as she pulled on her pajamas. "Maybe later when I get more energy."

"I think you need some rest," Olivia said, putting the trash can beside the bed. "You look exhausted."

"Will you stay with me?" Alex asked.

Olivia shrugged; it couldn't hurt. "If you want."

"I do," Alex responded, moving over and pulling back the covers.

"Just don't throw up on me," Olivia joked. She grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and gave it to Alex. "Drink this."

"I hope I can keep it down…I don't even know when I'll be hungry again." She unscrewed the cap and obediently took several sips before putting it on the nightstand.

Olivia got in bed and rolled on her side to face her. "You got a headache?"

"The aspirin helped a little," Alex replied. "Hopefully I can sleep it off."

"I wouldn't mind a few more hours of sleep either," Olivia replied. "I was awake most of the night."

"Why?" Alex asked, even though she knew she was the cause.

"I kept trying to make sense of everything…sometimes I wondered if it was even real." She sighed. "I ended up crying myself to sleep."

Alex felt another sharp pang of hurt shoot straight through her heart. "Oh, sweetie…I'd soak up all your tears if I could." She put her hand on Olivia's heart and started to rub gently. "Is it better now? I only want to see your heart sing, not cry."

Olivia took some comfort in seeing her perform the same gesture she had done when she'd hurt Alex. "Yeah…once you explained yourself."

"So are…are you still my girlfriend?" Alex asked hopefully, her blue eyes wide.

Olivia smiled and linked her fingers with Alex's. "It's gonna take a lot more than some drunken meltdown to scare me away."

Alex smiled back. "I love you."

Olivia kissed her forehead. "And I love you."

"May I have my ring back?" Alex asked shyly, still so ashamed of what she'd done.

Olivia got out of bed and went to retrieve the ring from the shorts she'd worn the previous night. Returning to her spot again, she said, "You have to promise me you'll never do something like that again."

"I swear on my life," Alex assured her, holding out her right hand.

Olivia noticed that she was shaking. "Don't be nervous, baby," she said as she slid it on her finger.

Alex threw her arms around her neck. "Thank you for giving me another chance."

Olivia rubbed her back. "Well, you've given me a million and one." She pulled back and ran a finger down her jaw. "All's fair in love and war, right?"

"Right," Alex said, leaning in to kiss her.


	61. Brown Eyed Girl

**Chapter 61: Brown Eyed Girl**

Alex awoke a few hours later. Olivia was watching tv. She looked down at her and stroked her cheek. "Have a good nap?"

Alex smiled, happy that Olivia hadn't left her side. "Yeah. But I hate I've wasted half the day." Her smile slowly faded. "Half your day," she murmured softly.

"Oh well, we have plenty days left," Olivia assured her. "It's only Sunday."

Alex suppressed a yawn. "Yeah." She walked her fingers up her stomach and added, "You look sexy."

Olivia smirked and bit into another chip. "Eating Doritos is the new sexy."

"Sweetie, you didn't order room service?"

"I thought I'd wait on you and just snack in the meantime."

Alex sat up. "Baby, you didn't have to be without because of me. If you'd wanted, you could've taken my car to get something. I'm sure the pokies were hungry," she said, rubbing her hand across her chest.

Olivia laughed. "They've been asleep most of the day."

"What do you wanna do tonight? Still wanna check out that concert?"

Olivia shook her head. "Nah. There will be another later in the week. We should see what Serena and Casey's plans are."

"Think they're still in their room?"

"Probably not," Olivia said, eating another chip. She offered one to Alex, who took it happily into her mouth.

"We can call them," Alex replied after she finished chewing. Thinking about how angry they were with her earlier, she amended her statement and said, "Well…you can call." She ate another chip and asked, "You think they hate me?"

"No, sweetie. All friends fight."

"But I was really an ass," Alex replied remorsefully.

"It will all blow over," Olivia promised, rubbing her back.

"I don't want you to still be mad at me either," Alex said sadly.

"Baby, I'm not mad," Olivia said, picking up the remote to change the channel.

Alex gently turned her face back to her. "Yes, you are. It's ok. I understand. And if you're not still angry, you're still hurt, which is just as bad."

Olivia sighed. "Ok, I am still hurt."

"I promise I'll make it up to you," Alex insisted, kissing her softly on the cheek.

Those words were comforting to Olivia, and she was happy that for once she wasn't the one having to say them to Alex. "I know."

"You know…but do you really believe?"

"Yes. We all know I can't resist your charms for too long."

Alex giggled. "Well, I can't resist yours either!" She wrapped her arms around her waist and added, "Thank you for taking care of me earlier."

Olivia kissed her on the forehead and replied, "You're welcome." She picked up her cell phone and added, "I'll call them to see where they are."

"Ok."

A few minutes later, she said, "They're at some store on the boardwalk. Said they'll be back in half an hour or so. They'll call."

"Have they eaten?"

"Yeah. They went to some pizzeria. Casey told me to go ahead and get some food if I wanted."

"You wanna go somewhere or order something here?"

"Why don't we go out and get a little sunlight? Well, what's left of it."

"Ok, let me get changed," Alex said.

"Yeah, I need to as well," Olivia replied.

About 10 minutes later, they were walking down the boardwalk hand in hand. "Think we'll bump into Serena and Casey?" Alex asked.

"It's possible," Olivia replied, reaching into her pocket and slipping on her shades. "I can't believe it. The sun will go down in about an hour and it's still blazing out here."

Alex smiled. "You look very sexy in your shades."

Olivia grinned. "Why, thanks, babe."

They walked a bit farther before Alex stopped and pointed at a particular store. "Ooh! Let's go in there."

"Sweetheart, it has cartoon paraphernalia."

"I know," Alex said, grinning and pulling her inside.

Olivia playfully rolled her eyes. "Uh oh. I know what's comin' now."

Alex led them straight over to the Looney Tunes section. "Look at all this amazing stuff!" She picked up a cap that had Tweety on it and put it on Olivia. "You look totally hot."

Olivia smirked. "I don't know how hot I can look with Tweety sitting on my head."

"And look over here!" Alex said, pulling her into the corner. "There's an inflatable Tweety."

Olivia opened her mouth to say something smart and Alex warned, "I know where you're going. Don't even say it."

Olivia laughed. "Can read me like a book, huh?" Suddenly her eye caught a Tweety steering wheel cover.

Alex immediately followed her gaze and her entire face lit up. "I have to get it!"

Olivia shook her head. "Oh, boy."

"Aw, it's perfect, Liv! Now I can always remember our first Spring Break together!"

Olivia had to smile as Alex picked it up. "You're so cute."

"Should I get one or two?"

Olivia shifted her eyes upward and pretended to think. "Let's keep at least one vehicle untainted."

Alex swatted her shoulder playfully. "Are you saying Tweety would somehow cramp our style in a convertible?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Olivia answered. "Completely unsexy."

Alex gasped. "Quel horreur!"

Olivia looked at her watch. "As much as I'd love to spend hours more ogling Tweety, my stomach has started to growl. Where do you wanna eat?"

"How 'bout Johnny Rockets?" Alex proposed.

"Sounds good."

"Ok. Just let me check out and we can go," Alex replied.

"We could do it quicker if you just charged everything Tweety to your credit cards and had it all delivered to your room later," Olivia teased.

That warranted her another swat from Alex. "I do not plan on buying one of everything! Just the cap and the wheel cover."

"Riiiiiiiiiiiight," Olivia said.

After Alex checked out, they went to Johnny Rockets and slid into a booth. "I'll be right with you," the waitress told them.

Olivia picked up a menu. "I know I just had one the other night, but man, I'm really craving a big juicy burger."

"I'll have whatever you're having," Alex told her.

"Ok," Olivia replied, continuing to scan the menu. When the waitress returned, she looked at her and said, "We'll have two Rocket Doubles, two orders of fries, and two root beer floats."

After the waitress left with their orders, Alex pulled out a nickel and inserted it into the little jukebox on their table. "What do you wanna listen to?"

Olivia flipped through the pages and shrugged. "Eh…doesn't matter to me."

Alex turned back a couple pages and a spark came to her eyes. "I found the perfect song."

"What is it?"

"Van Morrison's 'Brown Eyed Girl,'" Alex responded, smiling and winking at her.

Olivia grinned, pleased that she had chosen to dedicate a song to her. "Nice."

As the song played, Alex picked up a ketchup bottle and started singing to Olivia. "Skipping and a jumping in the misty morning fog with our hearts a thumpin' and you, my brown eyed girl. You, my brown eyed girl."

Olivia laughed and shook her head. "Alex, baby, you're somethin' else."

Alex stood up and started dancing from side to side around her as she sang. Other people turned around and watched in amusement. Even a few of the waitresses momentarily stopped what they were doing.

Alex was aware that she had an audience but this didn't bother her in the slightest. "Standing in the sunlight laughing, hiding behind a rainbow's wall. Slipping and sliding all along the waterfall with you, my brown eyed girl. You, my brown eyed girl."

Olivia wished Serena, Casey, Elliot, and Kathy were all there to witness it. She'd never seen Alex so goofy but serious at once—and she loved every bit of it.

Alex brushed a lock of hair back from Olivia's face and twirled around. She leaned in close and continued, "Sometime I'm overcome thinking 'bout making love in the green grass behind the stadium with you, my brown eyed girl. You, my brown eyed girl."

The way Alex looked at her with such tenderness as she sang made Olivia warm all over. She had already forgiven her, but if she hadn't, this would've certainly done the trick.

"Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da," Alex sang, grabbing Olivia's hand.

When the song ended, people at tables around them started clapping and hooting. Olivia blushed profusely. Alex gave her a big kiss on the cheek. "I love you," she said, putting the ketchup bottle back on the table.

"I love you, too," Olivia responded, kissing her back. "No one's ever done something so cute and adorable for me!"

Their waitress came over with their root beer floats. "That was quite a performance," she said with a grin. "You both get brownie sundaes on the house."

"Thank you!" Alex and Olivia said in unison.

"No problem," the waitress said. "Your burgers should be up in a few minutes."

"It's so exciting to get free dessert," Olivia said.

Alex laughed. "Yeah. Too bad we can't get it right now!"

"You know, I wish I'd had a video camera. I'd watch it whenever I needed a good laugh."

"Hey now! That was from the bottom of my heart!"

Olivia smiled and rubbed her hand across the table. "I know. I loved it. I was just teasing, babe."

Alex pulled her straw out of her float and licked the ice cream off it. "Mmm…."

Olivia took a long sip of her own float. Alex slipped a foot out of one of her flip flops and let it caress hers. "That tickles," Olivia giggled.

"It's supposed to," Alex said, dipping her finger in the foam and wiping it on Olivia's nose.

Olivia stuck her tongue out and tried to make it reach her nose. Alex laughed and asked, "In a bind, Liv?"

Olivia finally settled for wiping it off with a napkin. "Not anymore."

The waitress returned with their burgers and fries. "Enjoy your meal, girls."

"We should leave her a nice tip," Alex suggested.

"I agree. She's pretty nice. And there's an added bonus that she's not trying to get in either of our pants."

Alex snorted. "Yeah, tell me about it." She took a huge bite of her burger.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Hungry, babe?"

"Hell yeah! I don't know how I made it without breakfast or lunch!"

Olivia chuckled and munched on a fry. "I don't know either." She dipped another into the ketchup that was already on the plate and said, "I kinda don't wanna mess up the smiley face."

"Oh, I know!" Alex agreed. "Me either."

A short while later, the waitress brought the check and their brownie sundaes. "There you go. Have a good evening."

After saying their thanks, they began eating their desserts. Alex scooped up some of her sundae and fed some to Olivia. "Good?"

"Very much so," Olivia replied. "I could eat these all day."

"You probably wouldn't be able to surf very well on such a full stomach," Alex joked.

"Speaking of which, you wanna give it another go tomorrow?" Olivia asked, pushing a piece of brownie into some chocolate syrup.

Alex nodded. "I'd love to!" She took a bite of her sundae and said, "The cold ice cream and warm brownie is the perfect combination!"

"I agree," Olivia replied. She ran a streak of ice cream down Alex's cheek. "So is the cold ice cream and warm cheek."

Alex laughed. "Anything for you, baby."

After they left the restaurant, they decided to check out a few more places on the boardwalk. "Serena and Casey still haven't called yet. Wonder where they are," Alex said.

"They're probably off somewhere making out," Olivia replied.

"Or making love," Alex said. She took off Olivia's shades and put them on herself. "I can't say I'd mind that one."

"You wanna make love with my shades on?"

Alex shrugged and grinned. "What can I say? They're hot."

A few minutes later they spotted them coming out of a clothing store. "Hey lovebirds!" Olivia yelled.

Casey and Serena turned around and waited for them to approach. "Hey, what have you two been up to?" Casey asked.

"Just a little shopping," Alex said, taking off Olivia's shades.

Olivia grinned. "And you missed Alex singing to me in front of everyone at Johnny Rockets."

Both Serena and Casey's eyes almost bulged out of their heads. "Really?" Serena asked. "You're kidding, right?"

"Not at all," Alex replied.

"Yep, she put on quite a show," Olivia said, placing a hand proudly on her back.

"Damn!" Casey exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "We always miss the good stuff!"

"What did you sing?" Serena inquired.

"'Brown Eyed Girl,'" Alex answered.

Casey smiled. "That's a pretty cool song."

"And very fitting for Liv," Serena added.

"So I take it all is well between you two?" Casey asked as they started walking back to the hotel.

Olivia gave Alex a reassuring smile and wrapped an arm around her pale shoulders. "Couldn't be better."

Alex was elated to hear her say that. She felt like a huge burden had been lifted from her heart. "I'm so lucky to have you," she said softly.

Olivia gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "And I you."

"Aww!" Serena and Casey said together.

Alex looked at them and asked, "Are we ok, guys?"

Casey looked at Serena and then back at Alex. "Yeah," she answered.

Serena reached out and touched her shoulder. "You've been my best friend since kindergarten. We've had our share of fights. I won't desert you for a mistake. You're human."

"Thanks, guys," Alex said, giving them both a hug.

When they arrived at the hotel, Casey said, "Let us just put our bags up and we'll come right over, ok?"

"Ok," Alex said.

Olivia swiped her card to open the door to their hotel room. "No freaky stuff, you two!"

Casey smirked. "Well, we can't promise you that."

Alex followed Olivia inside and put her things down on the bed. Then she took off her flip flops and fell backwards. "Man, does this bed feel good."

Olivia laughed. "You've been in it practically all day!"

"Yeah…but my eyes were closed instead of gazing at you," Alex responded, leaning in for a kiss.

Olivia welcomed Alex's warm lips, soft and full against her own. She pulled her gently on top of her and began caressing her shoulders and back.

Casey and Serena came in a couple minutes later. "Hey! You guys tell us no freaky stuff and it's you going at it!" Serena accused.

Regretfully, Alex got off Olivia and wiped her mouth. "Way to scare us, guys!"

Casey jumped on the bed beside them and was joined by her girlfriend. She opened Alex's bag to see what she'd bought. "No. Tell me she did not get a Tweety cover for her steering wheel!" she exclaimed.

Olivia looked at her. "You must not know her very well."

"Let me see that," Serena said, taking it from Casey. After examining it, she said, "Wow, Alex. Just…wow."

Casey pulled the cap out and put it on Serena. "I dare you to wear this to school and keep it on all day."

Serena took off the cap and replied, "Not in this lifetime."

"Well, while you guys continue to pile on your Tweety hate, I'm gonna check my email," Alex said. She went over to the desk, picked up her laptop, and then returned to the bed.

"She's about to register with Tweetyholics Anonymous," Casey teased.

Serena slapped her thigh with the back of her hand. "Baby, Liv's right here. That might be a sensitive subject for her."

Casey threw a hand to her mouth. "Oh, Liv. I'm sorry. I didn't mean any offense."

Olivia waved her off. "Don't be silly. None taken."

Alex logged in and rolled her eyes. "Why do I have so many dumb emails? There's like 50 of them! They call it Spring _Break_ for a reason."

Olivia ruffled her hair. "You're a popular chick."

Alex smirked. "Ooh, wait! Here's one from Mom."

"She's probably telling us not to have sex," Olivia said dryly.

Serena laughed. "Yeah, a lotta good that'll do!"

Alex opened the email and started to read.

_Alex,_

_You and Olivia need to be more careful. Serena came over this afternoon and she was very upset. Someone had sent an email with photos of the two of you being sexually inappropriate on the beach. I tried to calm her down, but she refused to listen to any rationale. She told me that she never would've let Olivia vacation with you if she'd known the two of you were involved. She left even angrier and was determined to find out information about Olivia's past relationships. Be on your guard and don't hesitate to call me if any problems arise._

_Mom_

All the blood had drained from her face by the time she finished. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Olivia asked, becoming alarmed.

Alex turned her laptop in her direction. "Look at what she sent yesterday."

Casey and Serena moved behind Olivia so they could read over her shoulder. "Oh my god," Serena murmured.

For the longest time, Olivia didn't say anything. Then she slammed her fist on the mattress. "Fuck! I'm going to kill that bitch, Abbie!"

"Whoa, Liv. Calm down. Don't get yourself into any trouble because of her," Serena said.

Gritting her teeth, Olivia shook her head. "No. She's gone on far too long without suffering the consequences. And now she's gonna pay."

"Why won't she just leave you two alone?" Casey asked incredulously. "Doesn't she realize that she's never gonna get another chance with Alex?"

"Denial," Serena said. "It's pretty pathetic, really."

"Shit! My mom is gonna go snooping through my room if she doesn't get completely hammered so she doesn't have to deal with the reality of her gay daughter first!" Olivia yelled dejectedly.

Alex rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "No, she won't, sweetie. Don't panic. And you hide all the important stuff so well that she could search all night and wouldn't find anything substantive."

"Don't be so sure about that," Olivia mumbled. "I don't want her destroying anything you've given me—like the scrapbook."

Alex kissed her cheek. "It's under lock and key. We made sure of that after my mom came across my lingerie. Don't worry, honey."

"Your mom found your lingerie?" Casey asked, a look of horror on her face.

"Um…yeah. It was before we came out to her. Long story. We need to come up with a game plan on stopping Abbie."

"I already have one," Olivia grumbled. "It includes my fist."

"I agree with Serena, Liv," Casey said. "Abbie is so not worth fighting. But there are other ways you can get her back that won't get you in trouble."

"Sending shit to my fucking mother is beyond crossing the line!" Olivia yelled. "She had no right to out us! So maybe having the living shit beaten out of her will make her think twice before doing something like this again."

"We know, Liv," Serena replied. "But we need to think this through rationally."

"She needs to be stopped," Alex said. "We should blackmail her."

"I don't wanna go home," Olivia said quietly. "Then I'll have to deal with my mom."

"But you're staying with us, remember?" Alex replied.

"I know. But that won't stop her from marching over. And eventually I'm gonna have to go back."

"Then what'll happen?" Serena asked fearfully.

Olivia shook her head slowly. "I don't know," she murmured. "But it won't be good."

Alex's lower lip started trembling. "I can't believe this. She's not gonna stop until she's split us up. She knew how scared you were about coming out to your mom. It just seems like…like every time we get ok, something just—" Her voice broke. "God, I can't lose you again!"

Olivia brushed her tears away and looked deeply into her eyes. "Alex, I'm not going anywhere. Abbie wants to tear us apart. She knows how I freaked out before and we broke up and she's banking on it happening again. I'm not the same person I was several months ago. Yeah, I'm scared shitless. But I made a promise that I'd stick by your side even when times got rough, and I plan on keeping it."

Alex smiled and threw her arms around her neck. "Oh, Liv!" she gasped.

"Aww, you guys are bringing tears to my eyes!" Serena said.

"Mine, too!" Casey agreed.

"Our hearts are one, remember?" Olivia asked, kissing Alex's forehead reassuringly. "One heart, one beat."

Alex nodded and laid her head on her shoulder. "Yeah."

"So what are we gonna do about Abbie?" Serena asked.

"We need to use Abbie's pursuit of Alex as leverage," Casey suggested.

"Yeah, you guys remember how Lexie told me she hated that Abbie was so hung up on Alex? Well, we need to get proof to show her somehow. I'm sure Abbie has used her powers of manipulation to assure Lexie she's over Alex and nothing will happen, but we need to trap her," Olivia said.

"Maybe by using Alex as bait?" Casey asked.

"Yeah," Serena said. "Alex can tell her she wants to talk to her. Then when they meet, she can pretend to still have feelings for her. She can say she was just denying them because of Liv but now she has to face them."

"That makes me nervous," Alex said. "I don't want her forcing a kiss on me."

"We'll be right around the corner, babe," Olivia assured her. "If she goes too far, I'll be there to whip her ass all over this beach."

"You really think she'd fall for that?" Alex asked.

"She'll do anything to get a chance with you," Olivia said. "She doesn't care whether you're lying through your teeth. But she's too dumb to figure that out since apparently she's already deluded herself into thinking you secretly still have feelings anyway."

"So how are we gonna orchestrate all this?" Alex asked.

Olivia gave a wicked smile. "I know just the way."


	62. Payback

**Chapter 62: Payback**

"Ok, I sent Abbie the text," Alex said. "Just waiting for her to respond."

"We need to make sure we've got everything down pat," Olivia said. "You and I will pretend to be fighting right before she's scheduled to meet you. We want her to be in a position to eavesdrop."

Alex smiled. "I'm glad it's just a pretend fight this time."

"Me, too," Olivia replied. "So then you'll go off and pretend to cry and she'll be waiting for you. You'll spill your guts, she'll try to comfort you and make her sordid move, blah blah."

Alex's phone beeped a few minutes later. "Ok, she texted back."

"What'd she say?" Serena asked.

"She said she would like to meet up and thinks a civil chat is long overdue," Alex replied, showing her the message. "Where should I suggest?"

"Outside the game room on the 4th floor," Olivia said. "No one should be there at this time of night."

"Tell her the entrance farthest from the elevator," Casey said. "It's in a secluded corner and will give you more privacy."

"Ok," Alex said, composing the text. "Sent."

Her phone soon beeped again. "She's game, no pun intended," Alex said with a smile. "She wants to meet there in 10 minutes."

"Good, that gives us plenty of time to get down there first," Olivia said. "We'll all hide. Then when it's almost time for her to get there, Alex and I will come out of hiding and start arguing by the elevator." She got up off the bed and grabbed Alex's digital camcorder. She gave it to Casey. "Come on."

They all left the hotel room and took the elevator down to the 4th floor. "I predict this will go flawlessly," Casey said as they gathered behind the huge plants in the hallway on the left side of the game room.

"It should," Olivia said. "Abbie will enter from the opposite hallway since it's closest to their room, so she won't see us. On the off chance she comes this way, these plants will hide us."

"And we can still see _her_," Alex said with a grin. "I kinda feel like a special agent."

Serena looked at her watch a few minutes later and said, "We have about 2 minutes before she's supposed to meet you. She's probably close."

"Got the cam ready?" Alex asked.

"Yep," Casey said.

"You don't think she'll be late, do you?" Alex asked.

"Nope," Olivia said. "If it involves you, she'll definitely be punctual, maybe even a little early."

"Ok, so let's go near the game room and start our fake fight," Alex said, stepping from behind the plants into the open.

Olivia nodded and took a deep breath. She followed her and began, "Alex, why do you want to meet up with her?"

Alex stopped at the elevator and turned around. "I think we need to settle our differences. You know, reach some common ground."

"You honestly think that's a good idea?"

"Yes, Liv! Maybe if we talk about our issues we can come to a compromise instead of having this never-ending feud."

"Alex, you can't compromise with someone like her! She has no conscience!"

"Come on, Liv! She's not _that_ bad. Even Anne Frank believed that everyone was good at heart."

"Yeah, well she wasn't talking about Abbie Carmichael!"

"Liv, you don't know her! You only see this side of her! The girl I dated was warm and funny and sweet—"

"And she cheated on you!" Olivia interrupted. "After you'd only been dating a couple weeks!"

Alex sighed. "It still doesn't mean she's a bad person overall. Even good people do bad things sometimes."

"Why are you defending Abbie? Look at all she's done to hurt us! Look at how many fights she's caused between us!"

"I'm not defending her!"

"Yes, you are! Sometimes I'm confused as to who is really your girlfriend!"

"I don't like her anymore!"

"Really?" Olivia said, raising her voice. "You can't seem to stop talking about her! Maybe you do really still have feelings for her!"

"You know that's not true!" Alex yelled.

"I don't want you meeting with her," Olivia ordered. She grabbed her arm and said, "Let's go back to our room."

Alex yanked her arm away. "Why are you trying to control me? I'm my own person, Liv!"

Olivia threw her hands up in exasperation. "See! That's what I'm talking about! Ever since Abbie came to our school, you've acted different!"

"How so?"

"You know how!" Olivia accused.

Alex folded her arms. "No, I'm afraid you'll have to enlighten me."

"Well, let's see," Olivia said, trying to come up with lies off the top of her head. "You get offended when I insult Abbie, you stick up for her, you try to sneak glances her way when you think I'm not looking, you check her myspace and livejournal, you show less affection for me, you want to have sex less often…the list goes on and on."

"I do not!"

"Do, too! If you want to be with her, just tell me so we can end this now and my heart will be spared!"

"I can't believe you!" Alex screamed, running off.

"That's right, Alex! Run away when you can't handle the truth!" Olivia called after her. She shook her head and walked back down the hall.

"That wasn't bad for improv, Liv," Casey said.

Olivia shrugged. "What can I say? I'm quick on my toes."

"Ok, I know Abbie has to be at their meeting spot," Serena said. "She was probably thrilled to hear the fight. Alex will be in tears and everything should fall right into place. Casey, you rush into position and make sure she can't see you. The quickest way is by cutting through the exercise room. You need to have a superb recording angle. Liv and I will meet you shortly."

"Got it, babe," Casey said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before running off.

As soon as Alex rounded the corner, Abbie was there sure enough. "What's wrong?" she asked, pretending to not know a thing.

"Liv and I just had a huge fight," Alex said, wiping away a tear.

"What were you guys fighting about?" Abbie asked, trying to appear concerned.

Alex sniffled. "Well, it was over you."

"Me?" Abbie asked, secretly jumping for joy inside.

"Yeah…Liv accused me of still having feelings for you. She said it's the main reason we fight all the time. But I just wanted her to understand that maybe talking to you was a good thing, you know? This fighting between us has to end. Now I feel like I have no one. I know she's gonna tell Serena and Casey and they'll take her side."

Abbie started rubbing her shoulders. "It's ok, Alex. Whenever you need me, I'm here."

"I miss this side of you," Alex said softly, touching her arm. "The sweet Abbie."

Abbie brushed some hair back from her face and let her fingertips linger on her cheek. "I know I've done some shitty stuff to you and Liv, but I believe in fighting for the one I love."

"Is that why you sent that email outing Liv to her mom? Abbie, she could get in a lot of trouble. Her safety is at risk."

"Yes, because to me no price is too much to pay if it means getting you back."

Alex looked down. "Wow…um, I don't quite know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Abbie said, moving in close. She ran her thumb down Alex's lips.

Alex tried not to panic. "Um, Abbie…I don't think we should—"

"Shh," Abbie said. She leaned in to kiss her but Alex turned her head.

"Abbie…we shouldn't," Alex insisted.

Abbie ran her hand up Alex's thigh. "Don't be so tense. We both want this. I can tell."

"I'm gonna kill her right now!" Olivia whispered harshly.

"No!" Serena said, grabbing her arm. "We need to get more on video!"

"I agree, Liv," Casey replied quietly, holding the camera steady. "We need Abbie to incriminate herself a little more."

"Do you _really_ love me?" Alex asked, stalling.

"Yes," Abbie breathed. "It's always been you."

"But what about Lexie? Don't you love her, too?"

"No," Abbie said, shaking her head. "I like her, but she's just a crush. Something to get my mind off you."

"I…I can't do this to Liv," Alex said.

"Forget about her," Abbie whispered. "It's just you and me now." When she still saw Alex's reservations, she said, "Perhaps I can do a little coaxing…" She unbuttoned several buttons to her shirt so her cleavage was revealed. "Remember how much fun you had playing with these?"

Alex looked down at her chest. "They are nice."

Abbie smiled. "Good to hear." She continued to rub her thigh as she began softly kissing her neck.

"Mmm…" Alex moaned, pretending to enjoy it and trying not to shudder in revulsion. She ran a hand through Abbie's long dark hair and down her back.

"You like that?" Abbie asked, slipping her hand under Alex's shirt and rubbing her stomach. "Just like old times." Her hand slowly made its way up to her bra cup.

"I'm stopping this right now!" Olivia announced.

Serena grabbed her arm again. "No, just wait a little bit longer, Liv!"

Olivia glared at her. "Would you be able to stand there and watch Derek mack on Casey to get her back? No? Didn't think so."

"Liv, seriously. Just wait, ok?" Serena begged.

Abbie reached around her back to unlatch her bra. "Abbie, wait," Alex ordered.

Abbie looked confused. "What's wrong?"

"It's just…this is all happening so fast," Alex responded. "It doesn't seem quite real."

Abbie stroked her cheek. "Don't fight it this time."

She leaned in again to brush her lips as she successfully unlatched her bra. She was so close when Olivia shouted, "Kiss her and die, bitch!"

Abbie moved back from Alex and glared. She quickly rebuttoned her shirt. "Oh, great! The jealous lover arrives. Can't handle the fact that Alex really wants me?"

"What parallel universe do you inhabit, bitch?" Olivia demanded, storming up to her. "Alex doesn't want you. We all just wanted to give you enough rope to hang yourself to force you to stop fucking with our lives."

Abbie folded her arms. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Olivia shoved her into the wall. "Don't play games with me, slut. We know you took those pics and sent them to my mom."

"_Slut?_ Oh, I know you're not talking!"

Olivia backhanded her hard across the mouth. "Comments like that aren't gonna be very good for your health."

Abbie put her thumb to her lip and was infuriated when she saw blood. "I'm bleeding!"

"Oh, that's just the beginning of it," Olivia taunted.

Abbie looked at Alex. "You really wanna be with someone like that? It won't be long before she gets so mad at you that she tries to hurt you. Clearly she can't think of a way that doesn't involve violence to solve her problems."

Alex shook her head emphatically. "She'd never do that. She loves me too much."

"Don't be naïve, Alex. If she can break your heart, she can break the rest of you."

Olivia glared and shoved her into the wall again. "Never gonna happen. I'd die before laying a hand on her!"

Abbie rolled her eyes condescendingly. "Right. Your anger is barely contained as it bubbles beneath the surface. You're not to be trusted, especially with her heart. You're just gonna break it again because you're still the same coward you were before I transferred. This is what I wanted to get Alex to wake up and see before it's too late."

"What, bitch? You expected me to break Alex's heart by running for the hills so she'd rush into your arms for comfort? Sorry, but that little plan backfired. It only brought us closer."

Abbie smirked. "Closer? So fighting brings you closer, huh? Yeah, right! Little did you know, I was peeking around the corner when you guys were yelling your lungs out."

Olivia laughed cruelly. "That was staged. You fell right into our trap, ya dumb whore." She put her arm around Alex's shoulders. "And Alex here is such a great little actress. Didn't know my baby could cry right on cue."

Abbie turned to Alex as her mouth dropped open in shock. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Alex answered, reaching behind her to fasten her bra back. "It was all planned. I don't have feelings for you, Abbie. I thought I made that clear months ago. Now just leave us alone!"

Olivia laughed louder. "You're such a sucker, Abbie. You thought I was history and you could weasel your way in. Not gonna happen—I don't care if you send 1000 emails to my mom."

Abbie sneered at her. "Please. You'll be down on your knees in front of the nearest guy as soon as your mom threatens to kick your ass out."

Olivia squarely let her fist connect with her face. The force of it knocked Abbie to the ground. She whimpered in pain.

"You have no clue how long I've wanted to do that," Olivia said, standing over her with her fist still pulled back.

"Fuck you!" Abbie shouted, struggling to get to her feet. She tenderly touched a hand to her eye and hissed in pain. "Bitch, I better not have a black eye!"

"With how hard Olivia hit you, you better hope that's all you have," Alex said, folding her arms smugly.

Serena grinned and said to Casey, "I think black and blue will look very sexy on Abbie, what about you?"

Casey smiled. "It'll be hot."

Abbie glared at Alex. "I can't believe you tricked me. I thought you were better than that, but it turns out that you're just as much of a stupid bitch as Liv is. I must have really bad taste in girls."

"Don't you dare talk to Alex that way," Olivia said, getting in her face again.

"I'm calling the cops," Abbie threatened, pulling out her cell phone. "Your ass is going to jail for assault and battery, loser!"

"You do that and we're all gonna tell Lexie exactly what went down tonight," Serena said, staring her down.

Abbie scoffed. "Please. I've got her wrapped around my little finger. She's not gonna believe you skanks."

Casey laughed. "We thought you'd say that." She pulled her hand from behind her back and revealed the camcorder. "But we got it all on video. Lexie should be getting a copy in her inbox shortly."

Abbie looked horrified. "You wouldn't! You're just bluffing!"

Casey began playing the video. Olivia grinned wider and wider as Abbie looked more and more terrified with each second. "Turn it off! Turn it off!" Abbie begged.

Casey stopped the video. "What's the problem, Abbie? Can't stand to see your own work?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Lexie will love the part about how she's just something to get your mind off Alex," Serena added. "How many times did you lie and tell her you loved her?"

"You better not show her that!" Abbie warned.

"Then you better not get the authorities involved and you better not say or write anything else about us to anyone," Alex demanded. "Not to mention that we have you on camera admitting that you outed Liv. If anything happens to her, the cops will come after you."

Abbie turned from Alex to Olivia. "You think you're slick, don't you?"

Olivia walked forward until she'd backed Abbie into the wall. "I know the real reason you hate us. You see two people madly in love with one another and you can't stand it. You long to have that in your own life but you know that you'll never feel for Lexie what Alex feels for me or what I feel for her, and it eats you up inside. You delude yourself into thinking I'm horrible for Alex so you can feed your fantasy of getting her back one day and rationalize all the shit you've done. But it's not working. Get it through your thick skull! It never will! Alex Cabot is mine forever." With a smug smile, she stared Abbie down for a few more moments before turning to leave.

Abbie jumped on her back without warning. Olivia shoved her elbow back hard and it landed in Abbie's stomach. However, Abbie was determined to hang on. Olivia moved backwards and purposely slammed her into the wall before grabbing her and throwing her over her shoulder onto the floor.

"Holy cow!" Casey exclaimed, cringing at the hard thud Abbie's body had made.

"Oh my god!" Serena shouted.

"Liv, be careful!" Alex yelled.

"You're a dirty whore!" Abbie said, grabbing a handful of Olivia's hair and pulling as hard as she could. "I hope Alex STD-proofed her body before sleeping with you!"

Olivia punched her in the face again and Abbie screamed in pain and let go of her hair. "You don't know when to quit, do you, cunt?"

Abbie slapped her in the face. "Ooh, Olivia Benson called me a cunt. It wounds!" she yelled sarcastically.

Olivia ignored the sting from the slap. "I'll give you something that will!" she shouted, grabbing her hair and slamming the back of her head into the floor.

Abbie struggled to get the upper hand and flip them over but Olivia had her pinned firmly to the ground. So she did the one thing she knew would inflict the most damage—she grabbed Olivia's necklaces and tugged with all her might.

But Olivia was not about to let her rip her necklaces off. She pried Abbie's fingers away and painfully pulled them back until she screamed for mercy. Abbie felt like Olivia was going to break them off. "Stop! Please! You're hurting me!"

"That's kinda the point!" Olivia replied, punching her in the nose.

"Ok, we need to break this up before someone really gets hurt, and by someone, I mean Abbie," Casey said, tossing the camera to Alex. She grabbed Olivia under her arms and tried to pull her away. Serena stepped in to help her girlfriend when she saw the strength of one wasn't enough.

As soon as Olivia was off her, Abbie threw her leg out and kicked her in the thigh. Olivia grunted and kicked her in the shin. With tears streaming down her face, Abbie grabbed her leg with one hand and held her nose to stop the bleeding with the other. "Ow!" she screamed. "God, what did you do to me? Ow! Shit!"

Olivia yanked herself away from Casey and Serena. "Get off me! I'm ok," she insisted, her chest heaving.

"Are you sure?" Alex asked, brushing some wisps of sweaty hair back from her face.

"Yeah," Olivia gasped, sucking in air.

Alex carefully looked her up and down. "You don't seem to have a scratch on you. Well, except for that bruise appearing on your thigh."

"You should go clean yourself up," Serena said to Abbie with a nasty smile. "Olivia did quite a number on you."

"This isn't over, bitch!" Abbie yelled at Olivia through her pain. "You'll pay for this!"

"Abbie, don't make me fuck you up even more than I have already. I was being pretty light on you since I didn't wanna break any bones and ruin your gymnastics season."

"Oh, fuck off!" Abbie cried. She slowly made her way to her feet. "Stay away from me for the rest of the break! All of you!" she demanded, limping off.

"God, I really hope she doesn't call the cops," Alex said once she was out of earshot.

"She won't," Olivia assured her. "She's too afraid of Lexie seeing her infidelity."

Serena looked at her watch. "Wow, it's so late. Talk about a long day."

"You're tellin' me," Alex mumbled.

They all headed for the elevator. "Make sure to upload this video to your laptop," Casey said. "We need to keep it forever to hold over her head."

"Oh, don't worry, I will," Alex replied. "And I'll send you guys copies as well to make sure it never disappears."

A couple minutes later they were walking into Alex and Olivia's room. "Man, I'm so tired," Olivia groaned.

Alex smiled and ran a hand through Olivia's hair. "I guess kicking asses is exhausting, huh?"

Olivia grinned. "Not as exhausting as other activities."

Casey looked at Serena. "Uh oh."

Serena shook her head. "Let us know if it's about to get X rated up in here."

Olivia propped herself on her elbow as Alex stroked her side soothingly. "Please. I'm sure you two got plenty X rated earlier," she said.

"You know they did," Alex added.

Serena and Casey both blushed. "We plead the fifth," Serena said.

"Ditto," Casey agreed.

"I'll be right back," Alex said. She went into the bathroom and got a washcloth. Then she came out, filled it with ice, and returned to Olivia. She put the ice against the bruise on her thigh.

Olivia chuckled. "Baby, you don't have to do that. It's just a bruise."

"Yeah, Alex. Abbie is the one who needs medical attention," Casey said with a laugh.

"I want it to clear up faster, Pookie," Alex cooed.

"Oh, boy! She's breaking out the pet names," Serena teased.

"I don't know how you managed not to interrupt sooner, Liv," Alex said. "I could just imagine the steam coming out of your ears as soon as Abbie touched me."

"Oh, we had to hold her back _multiple_ times," Serena told her.

Olivia frowned at the thought of Abbie's actions. "I couldn't stand to see her pawing you and putting her dirty mouth anywhere near you."

"Well, at least she didn't get to kiss me," Alex said.

"She almost did and I would've had to rip her lips off her face!" Olivia replied.

Alex laughed. "She should be thankful you spared her another injury. She's gonna have to use a _lot_ of concealer!"

"I can't believe she had the nerve to unlatch your bra!" Serena said, shaking her head.

"Or rub your thigh," Casey added.

"I don't wanna think about it anymore," Olivia stated in annoyance.

"It's ok, sweetie," Alex responded. "I know how hard it was for you to watch. We'll discuss something else…like the all nude massage I'm gonna give you."

Olivia grinned. "With you naked or me?"

Alex smiled. "Both?"

Serena and Casey laughed. "Would you like some privacy?" Casey asked.

"Not yet," Olivia said. "I think I can keep the beast within contained for a little longer."

"But can Alex?" Serena teased.

Alex shifted the ice pack on Olivia's thigh and said, "I think I can. My baby probably needs her rest tonight."

"So what are we gonna do tomorrow?" Casey asked.

"Why don't we all go surfing?" Olivia suggested. "I can be everyone's personal coach."

Alex snuggled close to her and rubbed her nose against her cheek. "As long as I get the most coaching."

"That sounds cool, Liv," Casey said.

"I agree. We can't just let Alex have all the fun out in the waves," Serena added.

"I'm surprised they don't have Tweety surfboards," Casey joked.

Olivia gave her a stern look. "Don't give her any ideas!"

"We should look for one!" Alex exclaimed. "Or maybe I could get one custom made…"

Olivia slapped her hand to her forehead. "Great, Casey. Look at what you've started." She looked at Alex. "Baby, I love you but if you get a Tweety surfboard, I will not be caught within 20 feet of you in the water."

Alex folded her arms and pouted. "You wouldn't leave me all alone with the big, bad waves, now would you?"

Olivia sat up. "Baby…not the pout."

Alex just pouted harder. Olivia pulled her into her lap and said, "Oh, you. So cute."

"She's melllllllllting, mellllllllllllllllllllting," Casey teased in her best Wicked Witch of the West voice.

Olivia rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, please, Casey. I've seen you melt, too when Serena gives you the look."

Alex grinned at Casey. "Busted."

Casey blushed. "I can't help it. It's those baby blues of hers."

Serena smiled brightly and gave her a kiss. "Gotta be good for something."

Alex got up and stretched. "I'll be back. I'm gonna go wash the Abbie cooties off me."

"Ew! Yeah, don't blame ya," Casey said.

"Yeah, I'm sure Liv would appreciate that before she gets her um…_massage_," Serena added.

Alex laughed and shook her head. Walking backwards to the bathroom, she said, "I can trust that all three of you will behave while I'm gone?"

Olivia smiled. "What are you talkin' about? I'm always an angel."

Casey snorted. "Yes, I'm sure."

Olivia tossed Alex the washcloth. "Hey, don't forget this! I think my leg is about to freeze."

Alex smirked. "How could I?"

While Alex was in the shower, Serena asked, "You think your mom has calmed down any?"

Olivia sighed. "It depends on your definition of calm. She's probably just waiting for a confrontation. I want to avoid her for as long as possible."

"I don't blame you," Casey said.

Olivia opened a pack of Starburst and popped a couple into her mouth. "I just wanna enjoy my vacation without anymore bad surprises."

Fifteen minutes later, Alex came out in a towel. She opened her suitcase and groaned, "Ugh! Where are my pajamas?"

"The Tweety ones?" Serena asked. Casey snickered.

"Alex, you did pack 10 tons of clothes. I'm sure pajamas are in there somewhere," Olivia joked.

Alex opened up the second suitcase. "Maybe they're in here. I'm gonna unpack soon."

Olivia laughed. "Yeah, that's what you said earlier!"

Alex smirked. "You're right. I'll just do it now." As she pulled out a few more items, she exclaimed, "Ooh, here are the jammies I was looking for!"

"I'm surprised they aren't Tweety!" Casey said.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Can't Tweety ever get any love?"

"I'm sure you give him plenty," Casey replied.

Alex went into the bathroom to put on her pajamas and then came out and started putting her clothes and underwear in the closet and drawers. "Hey, baby, I'm gonna unpack yours, too. You don't mind, do you?"

Olivia leaned back against the pillows and folded her arms behind her head. "Mind? Are you kidding? Having someone unpack my stuff for me? Less work for me."

"Aww, isn't Alex sweet?" Serena said.

When Alex finished, she returned to the bed and cuddled up to Olivia. Olivia wrapped her arm around her and said, "Mmm…you smell nice."

Casey looked at Serena. "I think they're starting foreplay."

Serena laughed. "Yeah. Time to go. I'm getting a little tired anyway. Plotting and scheming are quite exhausting."

Alex placed her hand on Olivia's chest and said, "Thanks for helping us pull that off."

Olivia sighed happily. "Payback is definitely sweet. We couldn't have done it without you guys."

Casey got off the bed and took Serena's hand. "Hey, isn't that what friends are for?" she asked, her green eyes sparkling.

Olivia smiled at her. "Yep."


	63. Endless

**Chapter 63: Endless**

Olivia woke up to a tray being put across her lap. "Wakey, wakey," Alex announced with a huge smile.

Olivia smiled and sat up carefully so as not to upset the tray. "Aww, you brought me breakfast!"

"Because you're beautiful and positively lovely," Alex said, stroking her hair. "I ordered your fave omelette. Ham, cheese, tomatoes, and chives."

Olivia picked up her fork and dug into her omelette. "Mmm…this is divine!" Taking a bite of her sticky bun, she said, "Even better."

"I know it would seem more authentic if I'd cooked it, but since we're on vacation, this will have to do for now," Alex replied, placing her own tray in her lap and pouring some syrup on her waffles.

Olivia threw a fresh strawberry into her mouth. "Are you tryna get me to stay in bed all day again?"

Alex laughed. "Only if we're engaged in an intense lovefest."

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "I think that can be arranged."

"Maybe we can begin after we go surfing," Alex suggested. "You did promise Casey and Serena."

"Maybe we can postpone the surfing until the afternoon," Olivia said. "That gives us more time to play."

"And gorge on yummy food," Alex added, biting into a piece of sausage. She held it out to Olivia to take a bite, too.

Olivia wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, "Ooh, that's really good! Tastes a little different, though. What kinda sausage is that?"

"Chicken and apple," Alex said. "And try some of the chocolate waffles," she added, cutting off a wedge and holding the fork out to her.

"Oh, wow!" Olivia replied. "Those are _really_ good."

"Have some more," Alex insisted, cutting one of her waffles in half and putting it on Olivia's plate.

"Want some of my omelette?" Olivia offered. "I think it's too big for me to finish!"

"Sure," Alex replied. She tasted some of it and then washed it down with some apple juice.

"I wish I could have breakfast like this every morning," Olivia said.

Alex smiled. "You can if you want," she replied, picking a raspberry off her waffles and munching on it. "Just tell Janice what you want."

"I can't stay with you forever, though…" Olivia sighed sadly.

"Says who?" Alex wanted to know.

"My mom's gonna want me back home eventually to make my life hell, and your mom isn't gonna want me hanging around to sex you up everyday," Olivia said with a lopsided grin.

Alex laughed. "Not that I'd mind the latter."

Olivia smirked. "I know you wouldn't."

"How's the bruise today, baby?" Alex asked, examining her thigh.

"She's fine, thank you," Olivia teased.

Alex moved her fingers up a little more and Olivia gasped, "Baby! I don't have a bruise up that far!"

Alex grinned and kept going. "I know."

"Sweetie, how can I concentrate on eating when you're touching my no-no special place?"

"Right now it's saying 'Yes, yes,'" Alex quipped.

Olivia burst out laughing. "And what's yours saying?"

"Yes, please, yes!"

Olivia laughed harder. "That's a total Alex answer."

"Fine, I'll let you finish breakfast," she replied with a sly grin as she ate another raspberry. "But we will continue this later."

Olivia drank some of her orange juice and smiled. "I'm sure we will."

Once the room service waiter had returned to get the cart, Alex snuggled up to Olivia and said, "I can't wait to see what the rest of the break has in store for us."

"Hopefully no more unpleasant surprises," Olivia muttered.

"Yeah, ditto," Alex said, tracing a lazy pattern on her stomach. "Knowing our luck, though, your mom will bust in and try to force you to go back home."

Olivia gave her a look. "Don't even joke about that."

"Or she'll call my cell phone and tell me how 'young, dumb, and full of cum' I am."

Olivia chuckled. "She probably would. Man, I was so embarrassed when she said that. I wanted to grab your hand and run out the house right then."

Alex straddled her waist and brushed a lock of brown hair out of her face. "I can't get over how fucking sexy you are. I'm so glad I don't have to admire from afar anymore. Seeing the way you handled that ball on the court made me almost wish I was it."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "You wanted me to dribble you and throw you through a net?"

Alex laughed and shoved her shoulder. "No, silly. I just mean I liked the way you used your hands. Sometimes I'd imagine what they'd feel like all over me."

"So that's why you finally asked me out?"

"I wanted to get ahold of those great tits," Alex replied, grabbing them through her tank.

"Is that the only reason you're with me?" Olivia asked, grinning.

"No, you also have a great ass, great abs, great hair, a great smile…" she teased. "You're perfect!"

Olivia placed her hands on top of Alex's. "So nothing in there about my personality, huh?"

Alex kissed her on the nose. "It's absolutely amazing. I've always found your strength, confidence, and independence irresistible."

"You forgot the part where I'm warm and cuddly."

"And caring and sweet," Alex responded, kissing her nose again. "I also love how protective you are of me. I feel like nothing can hurt me while you're around."

"And nothing ever will," Olivia swore, closing her eyes and softly capturing her lips.

"Hey, maybe we can play basketball sometime over our vacation and you can show me how to do one of those reverse layups."

Olivia laughed. "Seeing you do a reverse layup? I'll definitely have to have the video camera for that." In her best sportscaster voice, she continued, "Alex Cabot brings the ball down court. She looks left, spins right, drives to the hoop—a reverse layup! She scores!"

Alex shoved her shoulder again. "Hey, I've got mad skills on the court."

Olivia laughed harder. "'Mad skills?' It's nice to dream, isn't it?"

Alex responded this time by tickling her. "I'm getting better! Of course I'm sure it pales in comparison to star player Olivia Benson."

"Yeah. You are getting better. At least now you don't run in the opposite direction or squeal and dodge to the side when I pass the ball to you."

"Hey now! You pass so hard! If it'd hit me, I would've had broken bones!"

Olivia ran a finger down her stomach. "Gotta keep that body in tip-tip condition or else you won't be able to do your little flips and splits."

"Maybe one day we can get you to do a back handspring without falling on your knees."

"I almost had it last time!" Olivia protested. "It's much easier to do flips when you're landing in water instead of on the ground or floor!"

Alex giggled. "Yeah, your diving does rock. But I always get so scared that you're gonna hit your head on the board when you're doing your somersaults and twists!"

"Nah," Olivia said, folding her arms confidently behind her head. "I've mastered it. It's all about the way you project your body and control your form during takeoff."

"Have you ever hit your head?"

"Nope. You just need to mentally prepare and know where the board is relative to your body."

"I love the height you get on your dives. And you make basically no splash when you enter the water! What's it called? A rip entry?"

"Yeah," Olivia confirmed with a smile. "Glad you remembered."

Alex grinned. "Yours is the best on the team! You always nail it."

"Well, except for that time I was upset about my mom and Cragen tore me a new one."

"But you've never done it at swim meets. I love the way the crowd just roars when you dive."

Olivia beamed with pride. "I love getting out of the water and seeing you jumping up and down and waving your banner."

"And I love it whenever you get out of a pool and your nipples are all hard. I just wanna jump you right there!"

Olivia moved Alex's fingers right over her nipples. "You mean like right now?"

"So I guess praise turns you on, huh?"

"Oh, yeah. It isn't just freestyle or a rip entry that gets the pokies all excited."

"Does this get them excited?" Alex asked softly, kissing her neck.

"Definitely," Olivia said, closing her eyes as she felt the tip of Alex's tongue brush her skin.

Alex began sucking the spot gently while continuing to finger her nipples. She was just starting to pull up Olivia's shirt when she heard banging on the door. Groaning, she yelled, "We're busy!"

"Surf first! Sex later!" Casey demanded.

"The water's not going anywhere!" Alex shouted.

"Neither are we!" Serena yelled.

Rolling her eyes, Alex got off Olivia and opened the door. Serena and Casey ran in and hopped on the bed. Looking down at Olivia's chest, Casey said, "Wow. Looks like someone was revved up and ready for business."

This time it was Olivia's turn to roll her eyes. "You two need to get laid."

"Already did!" Serena replied. "You two should've started earlier in the morning."

"Well, I was kinda worn out after kicking Abbie's ass. It's why I needed fuel before my engine could get going this morning."

Casey smirked. "I guess Alex gave you just the right _fuel_, huh?"

"That's right!" Alex said with a big grin.

Olivia stretched her arms above her head. "So you guys already have your sex time, but you ruin ours?"

"Liv, Spring Break comes but once a year. You can have sex any other day," Serena said.

"All right, all right," Olivia groaned, getting out of bed.

Alex started following her to the bathroom. "We'll be out in a few minutes."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Serena protested just as they ran inside and shut the door. She heard loud laughter erupt.

"They so tricked us," Casey muttered.

A devious smile crossed Serena's lips. "I know the perfect way to get Alex back." She ran over to the chest of drawers and started looking through them. When she'd found exactly what she wanted, she yelled, "Breaking news! Tweety underwear taken hostage! Captor willing to negotiate!"

Alex opened the door with lightning speed and ran out. "Get your hands off my tweeties!" she ordered.

Serena ran off. "Catch me if you can!"

Casey fell back on the bed in a fit of laughter. Olivia stood in the doorway to the bathroom and laughed so hard that tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"Give 'em back!" Alex yelled, chasing her around.

"You heard her, sweetie! You know Tweety is serious business!" Casey mocked.

"Liv, why aren't you helping?" Alex demanded, reaching in vain to retrieve her underwear as she continued to run around the room.

"I'll step in if things get ugly," Olivia said through her laughs.

When Alex had finally cornered her, Serena jumped high and threw the panties over her head. Casey caught them and took off. "Don't let her catch you, baby!" Serena told her.

Alex chased her new target. Casey ran across the bed, followed closely by a screaming Alex. "I'm serious, Casey! Give me back my tweeties!"

Casey looked over her shoulder and laughed as she ran. However, this proved to be an unfavorable course of action because she tripped over one of Alex's flip-flops and went flying to the floor right in front of Olivia. Alex jumped on top of her and snatched the underwear out of her hands with a triumphant smile.

"Wow, Casey. You're so graceful!" Olivia said sarcastically before she burst into another round of laughs.

Alex stood up and joined her in laughter. "I wish we could've videotaped that! Can you imagine what that would've looked like in slow-mo? Her arms were all flailing about as she went down!"

Still sprawled across the floor, Casey looked up at them and flipped them off. "Fuck you both!"

Olivia gave her a shit-eating grin. "Sorry, not into threesomes."

Trying not to laugh but soon failing, Serena walked over to Casey and helped her up. "Stop making fun of my sweetheart."

"You're laughing, too!" Alex gleefully pointed out.

Casey blushed furiously at her apparent clumsiness. "At least I put up a good fight."

Serena gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "That you did. You aren't hurt, are you?"

"Nah," Casey responded. "Just a little carpet burn."

"That's what you get for being a Tweety bandit!" Alex smugly proclaimed.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Who the hell has Tweety underwear anyway? What are you, five?"

Alex carefully folded her panties and walked in the bathroom, where she knew they would be safe. "You're never too old for Tweety. By the way, I hope you never trip like that in a courtroom or you're gonna be the laughingstock of the justice system!"

"Oh ha ha," Casey stated dryly.

Chuckling softly to herself, Olivia backed up and shut the door. "Behave yourselves!" she ordered.

"Only if you promise us that first!" Serena shouted.

* * *

Several hours later, they were all sitting outside a restaurant. Alex took a bite of her pizza and a swig of Olivia's coke. With a lopsided grin, Olivia looked at her and said, "Baby, your meal came with a drink, too."

Alex smiled and shrugged. "I know. But I just wanted to try yours. It tastes better."

Serena smirked. "Came from the same fountain, Alex."

"I know! But my drink didn't come with Olivia Benson goodness!"

Casey shook her head. "You've got it bad."

Alex scoffed. "As if you don't! I just saw you take a bite of Serena's burger!"

Casey grinned. "I guess you're rubbing off on me."

"Well, I'm gonna take a bite of Casey's taco," Serena said, lifting it off her plate.

"In public?" Olivia asked with a smirk.

Serena slapped her forehead and blushed. "I forgot we have the residential perv here."

Alex giggled. "I thought it was pretty funny."

"You would," Casey said, rolling her eyes and eating a couple of Serena's fries.

Serena pulled a piece of chicken out of the taco. Not able to resist, Olivia commented, "Mmm…tastes like chicken!"

Serena almost choked on the chicken. "You're so dirty!"

"Dirty would be this," Alex said, reaching out to pinch Olivia's nipple.

"Hey now!" Olivia protested, a hand immediately flying to her breast.

Casey looked at Serena. "This is exactly why those two can't be trusted to walk around in bikinis."

"I don't even know if they can be trusted to surf in them either! Half the lesson was spent with those two doing God knows what under the water," Serena replied.

"Liv was giving me pointers!" Alex said in their defense.

Serena snorted. "So what pointers was she giving when her hand was in the front of your bottoms?"

Alex blushed profusely. "She was helping with my balance!"

"You two should be locked in your room as punishment," Serena said.

Casey gave her a look. "You wanna give them exactly what they want?"

Serena laughed and rolled her eyes. "You have a point."

At that moment, Lexie spotted them and walked up to their table. Taking off her shades, she said, "Hey. Hate to interrupt like this, but do you guys know what happened to Abbie last night?"

Of course, they all feigned ignorance. "What do you mean?" Olivia asked as innocently as she could.

"Someone beat her up. She has a black eye, broken nose, and is covered head to toe in bruises. I'm so worried about her! She won't tell me who did it and has been refusing to leave the room all day. So I decided to go out and pick her up some of her favorite food. Maybe that will lift her spirits."

"Wow, that sounds terrible," Serena said. "Why is she keeping it a secret?"

"I don't know," Lexie replied. "I kept pressing her to tell me and she just yelled at me and cried, so I gave up. It was all I could do to convince her to go to the ER last night. I thought maybe you guys had seen or heard something."

"We were pretty occupied," Alex informed her, smiling at Olivia. She turned to Lexie again and continued, "Know what I mean?"

"I doubt she wants to know," Casey responded. "How I wish the walls were soundproof."

"I can take a guess," Lexie murmured, a slight smile curling at her lips. "Well, I guess I'll let you get back to eating. If you find out anything, let me know, ok?"

"Ok," they all answered.

Once Lexie had disappeared into the crowd, Serena smiled and said, "Good work, guys. She fell for it."

"Good," Alex replied in relief.

"What are we doing tonight?" Olivia asked, popping a piece of sausage in her mouth.

"We can go bowling," Casey suggested.

"Then we can go for a walk on the beach," Alex said, looking at Olivia lovingly.

Serena ran a hand through Casey's hair. "That sounds really romantic."

Alex bit into Olivia's pizza. Olivia looked at her curiously. "Sweetie, you have a slice, too."

"'But it didn't come with Olivia Benson goodness!'" Casey said in her best Alex voice.

Alex threw a piece of pepperoni at her. "Hey! You're just as whipped about Serena as I am about Liv!"

Casey grinned. "That I am. It's just so much fun teasing you two, though."

Olivia fed Alex some more of her pizza and said, "Babe, she can't help it. She _is_ Serena's 'little snuggy-wuggy' after all."

Alex almost choked on the pizza, she was laughing so hard. Casey turned beet red and covered her face with her hands. Serena rubbed her back and said, "Honey, don't be embarrassed!" She kissed her shoulder.

"Be very embarrassed!" Alex laughed, picking up a mozzarella stick and feeding it to Olivia.

Casey uncovered her face and retorted, "Oh, that's just swell coming from 16 and 17-year-olds who refer to their nipples as 'pokies.'"

Serena giggled. "Ooh, _burn_!"

"Damn right and I'd do it again!" Alex responded, arms folded proudly.

Olivia burst into laughter. Patting Alex on the back, she said, "You tell her, baby!"

Casey laughed, too, in spite of herself. She shook her head and took a sip of her drink. "You guys are nuts."

Olivia took Alex's hand and stood up to empty their trash. "It's exactly why you love us," she said with a smirk.

* * *

"The night air feels so good!" Alex exclaimed, throwing her head back and spreading her arms. A light breeze lifted her hair and the moonlight added a soft shimmer to her strands.

Olivia spun around as the water washed over her feet. Ever since she was a little girl, she'd loved the feel of wet sand between her toes. "I wish we lived on the beach!"

Alex stopped her from spinning and planted a huge kiss on her lips. "We will this summer!"

Olivia pouted. "Not when we have to go to camp. You go to cheerleading camp a week before I go to basketball camp. I'll be all lonely."

Alex gave her another kiss. "I'll send you plenty of videos. We can even webcam at night. And I'll call you whenever I get spare time."

"Are you guys gonna stay in the summer house or something?" Serena asked.

Alex nodded excitedly. "Yeah. And you and Casey are welcome to visit anytime you like."

Casey smiled. "Thanks, Alex."

"How are you gonna get past your mom?" Serena asked Olivia.

Olivia linked her fingers with Alex's and replied, "Alex and I will figure somethin' out. But I'm not letting my mom ruin my summer."

"Maybe you could tell her that you'll be at some summer college program. Lots of rising seniors do them," Casey suggested.

Alex grinned. "That actually sounds like a good idea."

"Why don't you do it for real?" Serena asked. "Rising juniors are often eligible, too, so you both could participate."

"I don't wanna spend half the summer doing homework," Olivia answered. "I'm already gonna have to read a shitload of books for IB English."

"Yeah, summer is supposed to be fun," Alex agreed. "You only get to be 16 once."

"So being 16 forever, that wouldn't be so bad," Serena mused, linking her arm through Casey's and smiling up at her.

"Or being 17 forever," Olivia chimed in.

"We're all gonna miss you when you go off to college, Liv," Casey said. "Our senior year will be so boring without you."

Serena looked at Alex sympathetically. "And Alex here will have a constant pout on her face, I'm sure."

"I don't wanna think about it," Alex said, a frown crossing her face.

Olivia scooped her up in her arms and gave her a kiss on the nose. "Sweetie, I won't go far, I promise. And I'll call you every night. You can even visit me on the weekends if you want."

A slight smile crossed Alex's face. "Really?"

"Of course, silly. Just because you won't get to see me everyday doesn't mean you can't still hear from me everyday! Nothing else has to change in our relationship."

Alex wrapped her arms around Olivia's neck. "I guess I'm just afraid of losing you. Lots of couples break up when one person goes off to college."

"You'll never lose me," Olivia promised. "I know our love will stand the test of time."

"Aww," Serena and Casey cooed in unison.

"I'm so lucky," Alex said softly, smiling into her eyes.

Olivia smiled back at her and walked out into the water some. As gentle waves rose to her calves, she said, "Look out over the water. You see how you can't see where it ends?"

"Yeah," Alex answered.

"Take all that water and multiply it times infinity. That's how much I love you."

Tears pricked Alex's eyes. "Oh, Liv. I feel the same way!" Holding Olivia's face tenderly in her hands, she leaned down to capture her lips in a soft, passionate kiss.

"This is definitely a Kodak moment," Casey whispered to Serena. She pulled her digital camera out of her pocket and snapped a couple pictures.

"Look how beautiful you two looked!" Serena gushed, showing them the photos once they'd returned to them.

"Aww, you have to send them to us!" Alex said.

"Yes, this is something to go in the next scrapbook for sure," Olivia added, smiling happily. "The beach is absolutely gorgeous at night."

"We should make a scrapbook," Casey said to Serena. "We have some really good pics from the break already."

"Are we gonna get our fakes made tomorrow?" Serena asked. "I really wanna check out some of the clubs."

Olivia shrugged. "Sure."

Alex grinned. "I'm excited about getting to go to my first lesbian club!"

Olivia pinched her cheek. "You are so cute."

"Speaking of cute…" Casey began. She bent over and motioned for her girlfriend to hop on.

Alex slapped Olivia on the ass and said, "Assume the position."

Serena laughed as she got on Casey's back and wrapped her arms securely around her neck. "I love piggyback rides."

"Me, too!" Alex replied, grabbing Olivia's shoulders.

Olivia bounced Alex on her back. "You're as light as a feather!"

Alex giggled. "You're just really strong."

"And fast!" Olivia said, running off with her. Casey was right behind her with Serena.

When Olivia stopped running, she flipped a squealing Alex over her shoulder. She held her waist to make sure her feet landed firmly on the ground. "Don't even think about it!" Serena warned, quickly scrambling down from Casey.

Olivia tried not to laugh as she caught her breath. "That was good exercise, huh, Liv?" Casey asked.

"You bet," Olivia answered.

Alex grabbed her hand and pulled them down on the sand. "At first I thought you were gonna pull me on top of you!" Olivia teased.

Alex grinned. "There will be plenty of time for that later."

Serena and Casey joined them. "It's so peaceful out here," Casey said, crossing her legs underneath her.

"Yeah," Serena agreed, laying her head on her shoulder.

Olivia leaned back on her hands. Alex situated herself between her legs and lay back against her chest. "Today was wonderful."

"I couldn't agree more," Olivia replied, kissing the top of her head.


	64. What's Done in the Dark

**Chapter 64: What's Done in the Dark**

The following afternoon, Abbie wasn't feeling much better. Even though Lexie had tried to convince her that a bit of sunlight and fresh air might help, she was too embarrassed by her facial injuries to go out in public. So her girlfriend had reluctantly met up with a couple of their friends and gone to the beach without her. She'd never felt so miserable in her life. Not only was her left eye swollen shut, but her cheek and nose were still swollen, too.

Throwing the sheets angrily off herself, she summoned the strength to force herself out of bed and slowly walked over to get her laptop. _Since the rest of my Spring Break is ruined, I might as well just surf the net_, she bitterly thought. She winced in pain as the pressure on her leg caused it to start throbbing, but she managed to hobble back to the bed. With her laptop carefully balanced on her lap, she grabbed her ice pack and held it to her face.

She decided to check Myspace. Even though she knew both Alex and Olivia's profiles were private, she also knew that Alex had added Lexie. Luckily for her, she had watched Lexie type in her password that morning. Smiling to herself, she logged onto her girlfriend's account so she could view Alex's profile.

Her smile quickly faded when she read her "Who I'd like to meet" section and saw that Alex had written, "_I've already met the one. Her name is Olivia Benson and she is the hottest, most amazing girlfriend in the world. I couldn't ask for more._" Abbie put her finger down her throat in a gagging motion. She read her comments and groaned as she saw the ones from Olivia. Just a few of them were:

"_I love you, too, baby! Only a few more hours before you're in my arms again._"

"_Hey, just doing Trig homework. It's so fucking lame. But my TI-86 def makes it easier, LOL. Instead of solving cosine angles, I'd much rather solve this: U+me=x_"

"_Aly, where are you, babe? My mom just left (finally!) and I'm about to go crazy waiting for you to get here! P.S. That 'no trespassing' sign on my yard is for Tweety. LOL, jk._"

"_Happy birthday, sexy. My name might not be Fred Flinstone, but after your party, I sure will make your bed rock._"

"_I think we broke the backseat of your Mercedes last night!_"

"_Psst! Did you get the little love note I left in your locker? Maybe I shouldn't have attached it to that Nestle Crunch haha. You probably ate it!_"

"_Baby, no one will ever come between us. In the words of t.A.T.u.,_ _'They don't know. They can't see who we are. Fear is the enemy. Hold on tight, hold on to me. 'Cause tonight, it's all about us.'"_

Not wanting to read anymore, she went to her pictures section next. Alex had made a photo album especially for the break. As Abbie looked through her pictures, she rolled her eyes. _Are their lips permanently glued to each other's or what? _she thought in disgust. When she saw them laughing and playing in the water, she wished she could snap the surfboards in half. Upon seeing photos from the previous night of Olivia standing in the water and holding Alex, she actually let out a growl. The caption said, "_She sweeps me off my feet!_"

The "Sweet 16" album only made her angrier. Alex was absolutely glowing and she thought she looked so beautiful in all her dresses. She even had a few videos from the party. Abbie couldn't help but feel jealous of Olivia as she saw her smiling wide next to Alex. "Alex should be with me, not you, bitch," she grumbled.

Once she'd looked at some other albums, she closed out the page and checked her email. After reading a few of them, she logged out and checked the fake account she'd made to send the pictures to Olivia's mom. To her delight, there was a reply from Serena waiting for her:

_I don't know who you are, but I am very curious as to how you procured these photographs. I'm not expecting you to reveal your true identity, but I feel that as a mother, I have a right to know what is going on with my only daughter. I also feel that you opened this door because you are privy to a certain extent of information that my daughter and Alex aren't willing to divulge. So what more is there to this situation? Has Olivia been involved with any other girls?_

Ignoring the threats Olivia and Alex had made, Abbie decided to reply. Since Serena already knew what was going on, she felt that the damage had already been done. Besides, at the moment she was more concerned with revenge than Lexie finding out she'd been unfaithful. Abbie Carmichael was not one to go down without a fight. She knew she had a lot less to lose than they did.

_To my knowledge, Alex and Olivia have been dating for several months, starting with last semester. They claim to be very much in love and I have witnessed them being affectionate in several public places, including school. They act like they don't care who's watching. Dr. Elizabeth Olivet can vouch for this. I have been told that Olivia has a bit of a reputation with the ladies, but Alex has certainly been her longest relationship._

To seal the deal, she logged back into Lexie's myspace and returned to Alex's profile. She saved several pictures from her albums and then inserted them into the body of the email. As a lasting gesture she screen-captured her entire page. She thought Serena would especially be repulsed when she read all the gushy comments from Olivia.

As she clicked the "send" button, her smile spread. "You have no idea who you've fucked with, Olivia Benson," she declared.

* * *

Serena Benson had office hours that day until 5:30. After her last student left, she decided to check her email before going home. When she saw that her mystery mailer had replied, she felt apprehensive. Taking a deep breath, she opened the email. She was incensed by the time she had read Alex's profile and viewed the pictures. In a way, she wished she hadn't because she'd never felt sicker in her life.

When she'd found a condom wrapper beside Olivia's bed a couple years prior, she had grounded her for three weeks. Her worst fear had been that she would become pregnant because she considered teenagers irresponsible when it came to sex, and she'd thought it would only be a matter of time before Olivia slipped up. Now she deemed pregnancy a lesser evil than this.

"I cannot believe Olivia is a filthy little dyke!" she muttered. She felt like a fool to discover that they had been open with their affection for months in so many places, but the wool had been pulled over her eyes. All she had had were suspicions without confirmation. _How much do I really know about my own daughter?_ she wondered sadly.

She picked up the phone book and found Dr. Olivet's home number. Although she knew she'd just be torturing herself more, she wanted to validate what the stranger said and find out as much as possible before constructing a game plan.

"Hello?" Dr. Olivet answered.

"Yes, Dr. Olivet? This is Dr. Serena Benson, mother of Olivia Benson. I wanted to schedule an appointment with you sometime next week to discuss my daughter's progress in your class."

"It's nice to hear from you, Dr. Benson! Olivia is a wonderful student and it's a pleasure having her again this semester. Hold on a second while I check my datebook." After a few short moments, she said, "I'm free next Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday after school lets out. Which day and time would be best for you?"

"How about Monday at 4:00?" Serena asked.

Dr. Olivet wrote it down and replied, "Yes, that will be fine. I look forward to seeing you then."

"Ok, it was nice talking to you. Have a good evening," Serena said.

She gathered her documents and put them in her attaché case. She knew she would have a long night of grading essays, and it didn't help that she was burdened with new knowledge of her daughter's behavior. _I need a drink_, she thought. She knew she shouldn't—especially since she had an AA meeting the next evening—but she felt a burning urge that would only get bigger until she satisfied it. She thought it was the only way she could flush the images and proclamations of love out of her head.

She turned out the lights to her office, locked up, and walked to her car. Even though she wanted to solely blame Alex, she couldn't because of Olivia's past with girls. _Is she just doing this to rebel?_ she wondered. She didn't understand why she would want to her hurt her this way. _Maybe she's just confused_.

Regardless of the reasons, she didn't like it and was determined to stop it. And she wasn't going to let anyone stand in her way.


	65. First Time for Everything

**Chapter 65: First Time for Everything**

Olivia came out of the bathroom in a red skirt and white cowl neck halter top. "How do I look?"

"Damn, baby! You are smoking!" Alex said, dropping her mascara on the table and running over to her. She ran her hands down her arms. "I'm gonna have to beat the chicks away with a stick!"

Serena smiled. "You look amazing, Liv!"

"I agree," Casey added.

"Your lips look so kissable," Alex said with a grin.

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "Then why don't you prove it?"

"Gladly," Alex replied, holding her face in her hands and planting a big kiss on her lips. Pulling back several seconds later, she asked, "How was that?"

With a dopey grin, Olivia answered, "I dunno. Can I get a little more?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Great. We're gonna be here all night."

Alex ignored her and said, "Sure." She grabbed her face again and gave her a deep, sensual kiss. Olivia ran her hands over Alex's back as she reveled in her taste.

"Hellooooooooooooooooo," Casey interrupted.

They pulled back from each other and giggled. "Hey, this is Alex's fault! She got me all worked up!" Olivia said.

Alex poked her in the stomach. "You're the one who wanted 'a little more.'"

Casey nudged Serena and quipped, "Seems like Liv was going for the platinum package."

Serena giggled. "I'll say."

"Oh, no worries. I'll get it later on tonight," Olivia said, a wide grin on her face.

"Ready to use our hot new fakes?" Alex asked Serena and Casey.

They both nodded excitedly. "Hell yeah!" Serena said.

Alex smiled at Olivia. "Think I look sexy enough?" She did a full turn to model her outfit, which was a magenta tube dress that ended just a couple inches below her hips.

Olivia licked her lips and nodded. "You've got my heart racing, baby."

"Good. You think it makes me look 21? I don't want the bouncer knowing my ID is fake."

Olivia nodded again. "You're fine, sweetie."

"Thanks," Alex said. She finished applying her mascara and then pulled out several M.A.C. lipglasses. "Which should I wear, Liv?"

Olivia laughed and shook her head. "Should I do eenie, meenie, minie, moe?"

Alex gave her a look. "Babe…"

"All right, all right," Olivia conceded with a sigh. She pointed to a glossy one that matched Alex's dress. "Go with that one."

Alex grinned and turned to the mirror to start applying it. "It's perfect. Can you get my stilettos?"

Olivia got them for her and handed them to her with a smirk. "Don't twist an ankle! I don't want to have to carry you off the dance floor."

"Hey, don't jinx me!" Alex replied. After putting on her heels, she ran a brush through her hair one more time and asked, "How do I look now?"

Olivia looked her up and down and let out a wolf whistle. "Like a total babe."

Alex grinned and grabbed her keys. "Ok. Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

Once they were inside the club, Alex looked around and said over the noise, "Wow, this place is amazing!"

Olivia smiled. "Glad you like it. So what do you guys think?" she asked, turning to Serena and Casey.

"Awesome!" Serena answered.

Casey wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's waist. "It's really nice! So many hot girls!"

Serena looked at her. "Hey now."

Casey planted a kiss on her cheek. "But I only have eyes for you, sweetie."

Serena smirked. "Much better."

Alex grabbed Olivia's hand and pointed across the room. "Hey, there's an empty sofa over there. What do you say we all just sit down and take in the scene first?"

Casey shrugged. "Fine by me."

They navigated their way through the crowd. Olivia sat down and pulled Alex into her lap. Alex wrapped her arms around her neck and said, "I think this seat is more comfy."

Olivia ran a hand up a calf. "Your legs are so silky."

Alex grinned. "Isn't that the way you like 'em?"

"Oh yeah. I could rub on them all night," she replied, continuing to stroke.

Alex brushed a lock of hair out of Olivia's eyes. "I hope they won't be the only thing you rub on…"

Olivia slowly ran her tongue over her top lip and responded huskily, "Oh, no worries. My intentions were a bit farther north."

"Well, then," Serena began, fanning herself. "Is it getting a little hot in here or is it just me?"

"You want an amaretto sour?" Casey asked, giving her a knowing smile.

Serena grinned. "You read my mind."

While Casey was waiting for the bartender to mix the drink, someone suddenly bumped into her and spilled her Mai Tai all over her blue top. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" the girl apologized. She set the glass on the bar and grabbed some napkins.

As angry as Casey was, she decided not to bite her head off. "It's ok," she said, taking the napkins and rubbing off the liquid.

"I feel like such a klutz!" the girl exclaimed, shaking her head. She picked up another napkin. "Here, let me help you." She dabbed at her shirt.

"Thanks," Casey replied.

"So you're here for the break?"

"Yeah," Casey answered. The bartender put her drink in front of her and she reached in her pocket to get the money.

"Let me get that."

"No, it's ok. I got it," Casey insisted.

"It's the least I could do. Please?" she asked, smiling at her.

A stubborn smile curled at Casey's lips. "Ok."

She paid the bartender and then turned to Casey again. "So what's your name?"

"Casey. What's yours?"

"Kim," she answered, holding out her hand.

Casey shook it. "Nice to meet you, Kim."

"You, too. Sorry we couldn't meet on more amenable terms," she said with a chuckle.

Casey laughed. "True." She picked up the drink. "Well, I have to get this back to my girlfriend. She's probably wondering what's taking so long."

"Ok. Maybe I'll see you around," Kim said with a bright smile.

Casey returned to their group and handed the drink to Serena. "Baby, what happened?" Serena asked.

"A girl accidentally wasted her drink on me," Casey muttered, sitting down beside her on the sofa.

"Ugh! It sucks how clumsy people are in public!" Serena sympathized. "Did she even apologize?"

Casey smiled. "Yeah. She felt so bad that she even bought your drink."

Olivia grinned. "Maybe she can spill something on me so I can get a free drink!"

Alex laughed. "Hey now! I don't want any other girls buying you drinks!"

Serena took a sip of her drink. "Thank you, sweetie. Sorry you had to go through so much to get it!"

Casey leaned in and kissed her forehead. "It was well worth it for you."

Serena giggled. "I love you."

"Love you, too," she replied, rubbing her nose against Serena's. "I need to go try to wash this stain out. I'll be back."

Serena quickly took another sip of her amaretto sour and then handed it to Olivia. "I'll help you," she told Casey.

Olivia smirked. "What am I? Your drinksitter?"

Serena grabbed Casey's hand and laughed. "I'll love you forever if you just hold it for me for a few. Promise I'll return the favor."

"You just wanna grope Casey!" Olivia replied, rubbing Alex's side with her free hand.

Serena grinned as her girlfriend began pulling her in the direction of the bathroom. "Thanks!" she called over her shoulder.

Once they were in the bathroom, Serena turned on the faucet and wet a paper towel. She added a tiny drop of soap to it and then scrubbed away at the spot on Casey's shirt.

Casey smiled as Serena's other hand rested against a breast. "I knew you just wanted an excuse to touch my boobs!"

Serena looked up as she continued to scrub. "Do I need one?"

Casey laughed. "Not at all."

"Good answer," Serena said, giving her breast a quick squeeze.

One of the stall doors opened. Casey turned her head and was surprised when she saw who it was.

Kim's mouth dropped open in amusement. "Well, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon, Casey!"

Casey smiled. "I know, right?"

Serena wrinkled her brow. She looked from one to the other. "You guys know each other?"

Kim laughed. "No, not really. I'm afraid I'm the one who's the cause of this mishap," she said, gesturing at the stain.

Serena nodded. "Ah, ok. Well it was nice of you to pay for the drink."

Kim smiled. "It was nothing. I'm assuming you're her girlfriend?"

Serena smiled back. "That's right. I'm Serena."

"Aww, you two make a cute couple!"

"Thanks," they answered together.

"How long have you been together?" she inquired, washing her hands.

"Officially—since New Year's. Unofficially—a couple weeks before that," Serena answered.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Casey asked.

Kim laughed again and shook her head. "I actually just broke up with my boyfriend."

"So you're bi?" Serena asked.

"Oh, no. I'm straight."

Casey and Serena's eyes bulged. "Straight? In a lesbian club?" Casey asked.

"I'm here with a couple lesbian friends," Kim explained. "It's only been a week since I broke up with Brad and I'm not interested in putting myself back on the market just yet. So that's why I didn't go with my other friends to a regular club. This way I don't have to worry about any guys trying to hook up with me."

Serena laughed. "Yeah, I don't blame ya. Are you from the area?"

"No. I live about an hour and a half south of here. I came up with my friends so I could enjoy my last week with them before I have to transfer to my new high school."

Serena smiled slyly. "So I guess those fakes are pretty popular, huh?"

Kim grinned. "Yeah."

"That sucks to have to transfer so late in the year," Casey said.

A look of sadness came over Kim's face. "Tell me about it," she replied quietly.

"So which school are you transferring to?" Serena asked.

"Madison."

Casey and Serena's mouths dropped open in grins. "Get outta here!" Casey said.

"That's our school!" Serena added.

Kim's eyes widened and her whole face lit up. "Really? This is great! I was so bummed about going to a new school where I didn't know anyone."

Serena threw the paper towel in the trash and took her hand. "Come on. We'll introduce you to our other friends. They're really cool. You'll love them!"

The three of them returned to find Olivia and Alex making out. Casey looked at Serena and whispered, "Gee, what a surprise." She cleared her throat loudly but to no avail. Leaning forward, she tugged Alex's hair. "Hey, trying to get your attention here!"

Without breaking the kiss, Alex flipped her off. Serena announced, "As much as it will pain the two of you to stop tickling each other's tonsils, we have someone we want you to meet."

They reluctantly pulled apart and turned to face them. "Pick up a chick for a threesome?" Olivia teased, grinning and handing Serena her drink. Alex giggled and scooted off her lap.

Casey laughed. "Not exactly. This is the girl who spilled her drink on me. She's also gonna be a new student at Madison."

Olivia and Alex looked at each other in surprise. Turning back, Alex asked, "Seriously?"

"Yeah," Kim answered with a smile. "Name's Kim Greylek." She held out her hand.

They both shook it. "I'm Alex. Pleased to meet you," Alex said.

"Yeah," Olivia agreed. "I'm Olivia. You can hang out with us. We'd be glad to show you around once you move to our neck of the woods."

Kim nodded. "I'd like that. My parents and I are gonna spend the weekend moving into our new house. Kinda sucks that my break is cut short, but hey, that's life," she shrugged.

"You have a girlfriend?" Alex asked.

"No. I'm straight," Kim responded.

Olivia exchanged a curious glance with Alex and turned back to Kim. "Until you're not," she said.

Alex laughed softly. "Totally."

Kim smiled politely. "I was telling Serena and Casey that I recently broke up with my boyfriend and I'm here with friends to avoid having to ward off horny guys."

Alex grinned. "Now you just have to worry about horny girls!"

Kim laughed. "I don't mind. Girls are completely non-threatening."

Olivia smiled. "Famous last words." She turned to Alex and asked, "You want a drink, sweetie?"

"Just water," Alex said sheepishly.

"Come on, sweetie. It's your first lesbian club and your first time using your ID. Don't you want a drink to celebrate?"

Alex looked down at the floor. "It's just…I'm still embarrassed about how I acted Saturday night."

Olivia rubbed her back soothingly. "I understand. But everything's ok now. We all make mistakes. Just pace yourself this time."

"Are you sure?" Alex asked, chewing her bottom lip.

Olivia thought she looked so pitifully adorable. "Come here, cutie," she said, pulling her to her and capturing her lips. She turned to the rest of them and continued, "We'll be back in a few." She then took Alex's hand and led her over to the bar. "What'll it be, hot stuff?"

Alex smiled, appreciating Olivia's compliment. "Since I _am_ the one driving, I'll just have a Smirnoff Ice."

"A Smirnoff Ice and a Heineken, please," Olivia said, throwing her money on the counter.

Once they had their drinks, Olivia smiled at her and asked, "What do ya say we hit the dance floor?"

Alex grinned and sipped her Smirnoff. "You got it, sexy."

Olivia led her to a spot right under the disco ball. Taking a swig of beer, she put a hand at the small of Alex's back and brought her in close. Alex draped an arm across her shoulder and started moving her hips in rhythm to the beat.

As they danced, Olivia pressed her forehead against hers and ran her hand over her hips. Alex ran her hand through her hair and down the back of her neck. Staring into her eyes, she said, "I'm glad my first club experience is with you. In fact, I'm glad that a lot of my firsts have been with you."

Olivia smiled warmly. "That means so much to me to hear you say that."

Alex straddled her leg and brought her other arm around her neck. "Just speaking the truth."

As Alex began grinding against her thigh, Olivia brought her hand up her side and teased, "Someone's horny."

"Is that a protest?" Alex asked, a sly smile playing at her lips as she drummed her fingers at the back of her neck.

"Hey, you know I'd never have any objections," Olivia said, rubbing her ass.

Alex sensually danced down her body, letting the tips of her fingers brush against her thigh. She slowly moved back up and then turned around and began grinding her ass in Olivia's crotch as she drank some of her Smirnoff.

Olivia slipped an arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You multitask so well."

Throwing her arm back and hugging Olivia's neck, Alex turned her head and tenderly captured her lips. "How's that for multitasking?"

"Even better," Olivia murmured, kissing her again. They rolled their stomachs in sync to keep pace with the music's swelling tempo.

They almost didn't notice when the song had ended. "How about another?" Olivia asked, her brown eyes twinkling.

Alex smiled. "I'd love that, babe."

"Yeah?" Olivia asked, nipping Alex's bottom lip.

Alex snuggled closer. "Yeah," she said softly.

Olivia let her fingers dance across a bare shoulder and grinned when Alex shivered lightly against her. She slid her hand down to the small of her back and said, "Baby, if you're trembling now, just wait until I get you back to the hotel."

Alex swayed her hips gently to the music and licked her lips. "Tell me what you're gonna do to me."

"Well…" Olivia started, leaning in to kiss her behind her ear. "I'm going to slowly take off this tight little number." She kissed her behind her other ear. "Then I'm going to caress your body from head to toe as I kiss you in all the spots that drive you absolutely fucking wild…" Alex moaned. Olivia continued, "After you're dripping wet, I'm going to drive my tongue so far inside you that your screams will be heard on the other side of the equator."

"Are you gonna make me beg for it?" Alex asked, placing soft kisses on her neck.

Olivia ran her hand under Alex's dress and squeezed a firm cheek. She could feel her heat spreading. "Oh, yes."

"I like the sound of that," Alex replied, her mouth crashing into Olivia's.

When their lips parted, another song had already started. Olivia laughed and said, "I don't even know when we stopped dancing!"

Alex smiled. "I don't know either. I was too busy letting you seduce me."

Olivia drank the last of her beer and said, "And you enjoyed every second of it."

"That I did," Alex replied, taking her hand and leading her back over to their friends.

Casey looked up at them and smiled, "Looks like you two had a bit of fun on the dance floor."

Olivia sat down and pulled Alex into her lap. "You're observant," Olivia said slyly.

Alex giggled and drank some more of her Smirnoff. "She sure is."

"So were you guys bored to tears without us?" Olivia teased, kissing Alex's cheek.

Serena placed her head on Casey's shoulder and replied, "Nah, I think we were able to manage."

Casey smiled and kissed her forehead. "We certainly were."

Olivia rubbed Alex's thigh and said, "Yep, I'll say." She turned to Kim. "Hey, I hope you don't feel like the 5th wheel or anything."

With a dismissive wave of her hand, Kim answered, "Oh, don't worry about me! I'm fine."

"You wanna come back to our room?" Alex asked. "We can get to know each other in a setting that's not so crowded and noisy."

Kim nodded. "I'd like that very much. Just let me tell my friends, ok?"

"No problem," Alex said, flashing her a smile.

Kim returned a few minutes later with her friends. After she'd introduced them to the gang, they said goodbye to her.

When they got to Alex's SUV, Kim exclaimed, "Wow! This is a neat car!"

Alex smiled and unlocked the doors. "Thanks. It was a birthday present."

"She got _two_ cars for her birthday," Olivia said, getting in and fastening her seatbelt.

"Yeah, the other's a Mercedes convertible," Serena added.

Kim smiled. "Nice! I have a red Bimmer."

"Cool!" Casey replied.

"So what grade are you?" Olivia asked.

"Sophomore," she answered.

"Nice," Alex answered, sparing a glance at her in her rearview mirror. "All of us are sophomores except Olivia, who's a junior."

"So now I get to hang out with four sophomores instead of just three," Olivia joked. "Damn you younguns!"

Alex swatted her arm. "Hey! Don't get so cocky, Little Miss Junior. You're only a year older."

Kim pointed at the dashboard. "Is that Tweety Bird?"

Olivia, Casey, and Serena collectively rolled their eyes. "Unfortunately, yes," Olivia confirmed, which warranted another swat from Alex.

"You'll also notice that she has a Tweety wheel cover," Casey added.

"There will be no Tweety hating in my car!" Alex stated firmly.

Kim put her hands up. "Hey, that's fine with me. Whatever floats your boat."

Olivia reached over and patted Alex on the shoulder. "You know we're just teasing, baby." She moved her hand down to her fully exposed thigh. "I love the um…_accessibility_ this dress provides."

"In layman's terms—you love how it comes up to her ass when she sits down," Casey said.

Ignoring Casey, Alex turned to Olivia and grinned. "You're just trying to get back on my good side."

Olivia moved her fingers to the inside of her thigh, dangerously close to her center. "Is it working?"

"I need more time to deliberate," Alex replied, smiling slyly.

Olivia put her face in her hands. "No, not more lawyer talk!"

"You wanna be a lawyer?" Kim asked Alex. "I do, too!"

Alex looked at her in the rearview mirror. "Cool!"

Olivia turned around and asked in mock anger, "You, too? Now I have _four_ future lawyers to contend with!" She shook her head. "I'm doomed!"

Kim laughed. "I didn't know everyone else wanted to be lawyers, too! What do you want to be?"

Olivia smiled and answered, "A detective."

"That's really great," Kim complimented. "I know you'll be perfect for the job."

A few minutes later, they pulled up to the hotel and took the elevator to Alex and Olivia's room.

Alex grabbed her laptop and they all sat around her on the bed. She began showing Kim various photo albums.

"So you're a cheerleader?" Kim asked.

"Yep. I'm also on the gymnastics team," Alex replied.

"That's awesome," Kim said.

"Serena's a cheerleader and gymnast, too," Casey said, proudly patting Serena on the back. "And I play softball."

"And I'm on the swim team and the basketball team," Olivia added.

Alex kissed her on the cheek and then turned to Kim. "She's the best on both!"

Kim smiled. "Nice. I'll be sure to come out and watch all of you in action."

Casey smirked and jerked her thumb in Alex and Olivia's direction. "Yeah, and if you hang around those two long enough, you'll get your fill of action."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Oh, you should be a comedian."

Olivia nipped Alex's earlobe and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I can't help it if my baby is irresistibly sexy."

Alex giggled and snuggled closer. "Says the smoking hot brunette."

"I really like that picture of you," Kim said, pointing to a picture of Olivia tapping Alex on the nose. "You guys look so happy and in love."

Alex laid her head on Olivia's shoulder and replied, "Aw, thanks."

Olivia rubbed her hand softly up and down Alex's arm and asked Kim, "So, have you ever kissed a girl?"

"Remember? She's straight," Serena reminded her.

Olivia smirked. "Yeah, straight to the nearest girl!"

Kim laughed. "You guys don't give up, do you?"

Alex grinned and said to Olivia, "Notice how she's avoiding the question."

"Ok, ok. I'll answer," Kim conceded. "No, I haven't."

"Would you ever?" Olivia asked.

Kim shrugged. "Well, I won't say never because who knows where life will lead you? I could see myself maybe kissing a girl at a party or something. You know, just for fun."

"Would you do it as a dare?" Casey asked.

Kim smiled. "Is that a challenge?"

"At the next party back home, we'll have to find a hot girl for you to kiss," Casey replied.

"How is kissing a girl different from kissing a guy?" Kim asked.

"Girls are softer, smoother," Alex explained. "Kissing a guy just never felt right to me."

"Girls smell better, too," Serena added with a grin.

"And they're more tuned into our needs," Casey said, smiling at her girlfriend.

"Yeah," Olivia agreed. "They pay attention to all the small things that make a big difference."

"Sex with Serena is much, much better than it ever was with my ex-boyfriend. She makes me feel so many things he never did. She knows all my hotspots," Casey added, leaning in to kiss her.

Kim watched as they explored each other's mouths softly and gently. She became more intrigued with each moment. She definitely was no stranger to seeing girls kiss, but this time something just felt different. It was the first time something was stirring inside her and she didn't know why.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Olivia saying, "You haven't seen a kiss until you've seen this." She enveloped Alex's mouth in a probing, steamy kiss. Alex moaned into her mouth and gently massaged the back of her neck.

Casey parted from Serena and shook her head. "I think you're gonna get more than just a kiss with them."

"That's for sure," Serena agreed. "Just duck if clothes start flying off."

After a few more minutes, they broke the kiss and gasped for air. "Wow, that was intense," Kim said.

"You're tellin' me," Alex replied, licking her lips.

A goofy grin crossed Olivia's face. She leaned back against the headboard and proclaimed, "Yep. Alex can't resist these lips."

Alex playfully swatted her. "Oh hush, you."

"I have to admit, both your kisses were pretty hot," Kim complimented.

"Thanks," Serena replied. "Casey's a phenomenal kisser."

"So is Liv," Alex replied, laying her head on her chest and sighing happily.

"So do your parents know about your relationships?" Kim asked.

Casey shook her head. "Both my parents and Serena's are Catholic so telling them we're involved is outta the question."

"Alex's mom already knows," Olivia explained. "She supports us, but her dad doesn't know yet. And my mom is really homophobic. If I told her I was gay and in love with Alex, she'd flip her shit."

"Aw, that sucks. Why can't people see that love is blind? It knows no race or gender," Kim sympathized.

"Because they're stuck in the Middle Ages," Alex grumbled.

"How long have you two been together?" Kim asked.

"Since the beginning of September," Olivia answered.

"We took a short break around November but were back together before Christmas," Alex added.

"Ha!" Serena snorted. "Break, my ass. They still spent almost all their time together."

Olivia stroked Alex's hair softly and said, "What can I say? We're inseparable."

Kim smiled. "You two seem so perfect for each other. Why'd you break up?"

Olivia sighed deeply. "It was my fault. I freaked out a couple times because I was afraid of being outed to everyone. The first time was at the end of October at a party after the homecoming dance. My ex-boyfriend caught me and Alex…you know…in the bathroom."

Kim's mouth dropped open. "Wow, are you serious? That's gotta be um, awkward."

"Yeah, it was. But we got back together five days later, though. Then the very next day stupid me freaked out again and called it off."

"So what made you wake up and smell the coffee, so to speak?" Kim asked.

"Well, the night after that I was at the football game. I went with this guy and after the game we went back to his car and started to hook up." Feeling Alex tense up, she leaned down to kiss her head softly. "But right before we were gonna have sex he said some things that pissed me off. So I pushed him off me and left the car. It was just my luck that Serena was standing right there because we were blocking her and Alex from leaving. Then Alex got out of Serena's car, saw the condom wrapper drop from the guy's hand and basically ripped into me. We got into a huge fight and said a lot of hurtful things to each other." Her voice caught and her eyes began to tear up. "The thing that made me wake up was when Alex told me she hated me and didn't know what she'd ever seen in me. I…I just couldn't take it."

Alex sat up and kissed her cheek. "Don't cry, sweetie. That's all forgiven now, ok?"

Olivia looked into her eyes and ran her thumb down her lips. "I almost lost you for good."

"But you didn't," Alex murmured, stroking her cheek.

"How'd you two works things out?" Kim asked.

"That following Monday I went to her and begged for forgiveness," Olivia explained. "She told me that she was hurting too much to take me back. So I asked if we could at least be friends. She told me to give her a week and she'd see. So after that week was up, we slowly started building back our friendship."

Kim pouted. "That must've been so hard. I mean…knowing you're in love but that you have to act like you're just friends. How'd you guys stand it without going crazy?"

Alex laughed. "I think we did go a little crazy. The connection between us had never left and there were so many times where I just wanted to be like 'fuck it!' and kiss her!"

"You're telling me!" Olivia agreed. "We could cuddle, but being right beside her and not being able to kiss or make love to her was so hard!"

Kim picked up a pillow and squeezed it to her chest. "So what brought about the reunion?"

Olivia looked at Alex and grinned. "Should I tell her or do you want to?"

Alex giggled. "I'll do it!" She rubbed her nose against Olivia's and then looked at Kim. "Well, Liv was helping me wrap Christmas presents. I asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she said, 'You.' Then she pulled out these beautiful necklaces." She held hers up for Kim to see. Olivia held up hers as well. "She asked me to be with her again and promised me that she'd never run away again. So I said yes."

"Aww," Serena, Casey, and Kim cooed.

"She also said yes when I gave her this ring," Olivia said, grinning proudly as she held up Alex's hand for Kim to see.

Kim also noticed Olivia's identical ring. "They're gorgeous! You two are engaged?"

Alex smiled. "Not exactly. They're promise rings."

"Yep. We exchanged them on Valentine's," Olivia added.

"Aw! That's so romantic!" Kim exclaimed.

"Yeah. And you'll never guess how she did it!" Alex said.

"How?" Kim asked.

"Well, she'd prepared this wonderful dinner for me. When it was time for dessert, I felt my fork hit something hard. So I pulled this ring out of the Bavarian cream and was completely floored."

Kim's mouth dropped. "Wow! That's so cute and creative!"

Casey smiled. "Yeah. I can only imagine how Liv's proposal will be."

Alex looked at her and folded her arms. "How do you know I won't propose to _her_?"

Olivia's smile widened. "Well, aren't you just full of surprises?"

Alex straddled her waist and put her hands on her shoulders. "Can you guess what surprise I have in store now?"

Casey smirked and commented, "That's not really a surprise."

Serena gasped. "Alex, are you wearing any underwear?"

Alex looked over her shoulder. "Of course I am, silly!"

"Are you wearing _nude_ panties?" Serena asked sarcastically.

Alex rolled her eyes. "No. I have on a thong."

Smiling, Olivia slipped her hands under Alex's dress and started kneading her ass. "Very effective."

"I agree," Alex replied. She leaned in and whispered, "What you're doing is also very effective at making me wet."

Kim looked at Casey and Serena and asked, "Were we supposed to hear that?"

Casey laughed. "You catch on quickly."

Olivia ignored them. "I know something that works a little better," she said slyly, leaning up to meet her lips.

Alex began rocking her hips against her waist. "Mmm," she moaned as she ran her hands over Olivia's breasts.

Serena cleared her throat. "Well, who wants to watch a movie?"

"Yeah. A movie sounds great," Casey agreed.

Groaning, Alex got off Olivia and said, "Ok, ok. We get it." She went to get a couple movies off the desk. "Here you go," she said, handing one to Casey and then taking her seat beside Olivia.

Casey put the movie in and then turned out the lights. "Remember we can still hear your moans even if we can't see you," she said, getting back into bed. "So no funny stuff!"

Olivia smirked and pulled Alex near her as she said, "Only if you and Serena promise us the same thing."

Serena laughed. "I don't make promises I have no intention of keeping."

Alex threw a hand up. "See! And you talk about us."

Serena giggled. "Casey and I are just stealthier."

Olivia whispered in Alex's ear, "I'd like to engage in a little stealth loving."

Alex whispered back, "How about we take a walk on the beach after the movie? Just the two of us?"

Olivia ran her fingers across Alex's stomach and replied, "I like the sound of that."

When the movie ended and Casey turned the lights back on, Kim asked them, "So how are the teachers at Madison? Are they chill?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Some of them are. Others are real nightmares."

"Yeah," Alex agreed. She gestured at Serena and Casey and continued, "We all have constitutional law with Petrovsky and ugh, she is the biggest pain in the ass you will ever meet."

Kim laughed. "Wow. Guess it's a good thing the semester is already half over, huh?"

"You can say that again," Casey murmured.

Kim looked at her watch. "Well, I guess I'd better get going. My friends will probably think I've been kidnapped or something."

Casey laughed. "Cool. You wanna hang out again tomorrow?"

Kim smiled. "Sure. That seems like fun. Let's all exchange numbers."

After everyone had, she grabbed her purse and said, "Ok. Have a good night!"

"Night!" they all said back.

Kim was just about to enter her hotel room when she heard a raspy voice say, "Well, well, well, if it isn't Kim Greylek."


	66. Mean Girls

**Chapter 66: Mean Girls**

Kim turned around and gasped when she saw who it was. "Abbie? Abbie Carmichael?" She looked over the injuries on Abbie's body and added, "Wow, you look like death! What happened? Get hit by a bus?"

"Oh, ha ha," Abbie stated dryly, hobbling slowly over to her on her crutches. She wished her pain meds would hurry up and kick in. "I got into a fight with some bitch."

"Oh, my god! Did you call the cops? She really did a number on you."

Without thinking, Abbie tried to roll her eyes and hissed at the pain it caused her swollen one. "Yeah, Greylek, rub it in. No, I didn't call the cops. I wasn't even gonna go to the hospital but the pain got so bad that I gave in."

"Ouch. Well, I didn't expect to see you here. Guess it really is a small world, after all, huh?"

"You could say that," Abbie replied, leaning against the doorframe to take the weight off her hurt leg. "So I haven't seen you since the last debate tournament before I left Westminster. What have you been up to? How's Brad?"

Kim looked down as she tried to push down the sadness that came over her. "We broke up. Now I'm getting ready to transfer to Madison because Dad got a new job."

"Yeah, my dad's company relocated him and that's how I ended up there. How do you feel about the move?"

"Not too thrilled, to say the least," Kim replied. "But the good news is that I met a few girls from Madison just a little bit ago and we hung out and got to know each other."

Abbie raised her brow. "Oh, really? Who?"

Kim looked skyward as she ticked off the names on her fingers. "Um…Alex, Serena, Casey, and Olivia."

All the blood drained from Abbie's face. "Are you fucking serious?"

Kim wrinkled her brow in confusion. "Why?"

"Olivia Benson is the bitch who did this to me!" Abbie exclaimed. "She and those three cunts set me up just so she could attack me!"

Kim's mouth dropped open. "Are you kidding? They all seemed so nice!"

Abbie scoffed. "Yeah, right. If I were you, I wouldn't get involved with that gang. They are all bad news."

"How did it all happen?"

Abbie let out a groan and complained, "Ugh, I ache all over. Can we go inside your room so I can sit down?"

"Sure," Kim said, sliding her key card and opening the door. She turned on the light, threw her purse down on the floor, and walked over to the bed.

Putting her crutches down and gingerly easing her way up onto the bed, Abbie began, "Well, Alex and I once had a thing and Liv is a jealous psycho who is afraid I'm gonna steal her away. She's been starting shit with me the entire time I've been at Madison and a few days ago, it just escalated. Alex sent me a text saying she wanted to talk, so I met up with her. Before I knew it, Olivia, Serena, and Casey came out of nowhere and Olivia just started in on me while the rest of them stood back and cheered her on."

Kim put a hand to her mouth. "Wow. They totally didn't give off such a sinister vibe when I was around them."

"Yeah, well, they're all fake," Abbie said.

"Why didn't you report them to the police?" Kim asked.

"Because Alex's parents are filthy rich and even if I did, she'd make everything go away. Her uncle is a judge, for crying out loud. They have connections so deep it would make your head spin. Serena comes from money, too."

"What about Casey and Olivia?"

"Casey's dad is military and she's working-class. Olivia's mom is an English professor and no dad is in the picture. I think they're both gold diggers who were all too happy to land two rich girls."

"I dunno…" Kim hesitated. "They both seemed really in love."

"Don't tell me you're that naïve, Kim," Abbie retorted. "Olivia is obsessed with Alex. As for Casey, I heard she had a serious boyfriend before getting with Serena."

Deciding to change the subject, Kim asked, "Are you running track this semester?"

"Nah, I'm doing gymnastics. Alex and Serena are both on the team. It's so annoying. I'll probably do track again next year, though. I miss it."

"You'd probably just lose against our school anyway," Kim teased.

"Oh, please," Abbie responded. "Belmont has nothing on Westminster. And the times you beat me in debate, you just got lucky."

Kim laughed. "Riiiiiight. Keep telling yourself that, Carmichael. I didn't get the nickname 'The Crusader' for nothing." A few moments of silence passed. "So you've told me about who everyone else is dating…what about yourself?" she asked, throwing her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder and leaning back on her hands.

"I'm dating a girl named Lexie," Abbie said. "She is smoking hot. Big boobs, nice ass, dark brown hair…she is sex on legs."

Kim laughed. "Wow. Well, good for you. So have you sworn off guys forever or what?"

Abbie smirked. "No, but girls are more fun. Although my mom is still holding out hope that I'll marry a doctor. Ugh."

"How serious are you two?"

"Not that serious. We just started dating a couple months ago. She's bi, too."

"Interesting. How is Madison compared to Westminster?"

"Eh, I've met some cool people, but I'd rather be at Westminster," Abbie replied. "At least the psychos there are relatively mild compared to Olivia and her ilk."

"When you say you and Alex dated, do you mean like this year? Olivia and Alex told me they broke up sometime last semester but have been together again ever since December. Did they break up again?"

"No, I met Alex at cheerleading camp last summer and we broke up before it was over. It was only like a couple weeks anyway."

"Oh, ok. What did your girlfriend say about all this drama?"

"She was pissed. I didn't tell her that it was them."

Kim thought it odd that Abbie didn't tell her girlfriend who had assaulted her. "Why not?"

"Because Lexie is friends with both Serena and Alex."

Still, something about it seemed off somewhere to Kim. She decided that she'd ask Olivia or Alex about it the next time she saw one of them so that she could get the story straight.

* * *

Late the next morning, Kim got a text from Alex telling her that they were at the beach and that she could meet them there if she wanted. So she gathered her things and headed out the door.

"Glad you could make it," Serena greeted her as she walked up to them.

Kim smiled and sat down on a towel next to Olivia. "So what have you guys been up to? Staying out of trouble, I hope."

Olivia chuckled. "Define trouble."

Alex lightly thumped Olivia's arm. "I promise you she was very good—we both were."

"Lies," Casey uttered through a fake cough. Serena giggled.

"Alex and I just did some surfing early in the A.M.," Olivia explained. "Serena and Casey claimed they were too tired to join us," she continued, looking at them pointedly.

Serena and Casey both blushed. "Well, we were!" Casey said in their defense. "It was an um, long night."

Olivia smirked. "Oh, I'll bet." She turned to Kim. "So did you crash after you left our room last night?"

Rubbing some sunscreen on her legs, Kim answered, "No. I actually ran into Abbie. I hear you guys don't really get along."

Olivia groaned, Alex and Casey rolled their eyes, and Serena let out a low "ugh." "How the hell do you know Abbie?" Alex asked.

"Our schools used to compete against one another. She and I have gone head-to-head multiple times during debate tournaments." Grinning smugly and leaning back on her hands, she continued, "I kicked her ass."

"I'm sure she told you a bunch of lies about us," Alex stated. "So spill. What all did she say?"

Kim recounted their conversation. "Are you serious?" Olivia asked when she had finished. "That's bullshit. She has been trying to get into Alex's pants since she walked into Madison. When Alex rejected her, she started harassing us, so finally we just got fed up about it and decided to teach her a lesson. She's been provoking us for months."

"Yeah, she even emailed Olivia's _mom_ photos of Liv and me making out during this very break," Alex chimed in. "And although we don't have concrete proof, I'm pretty sure she was the one who called my mom and pretended to be someone who worked at the school just so she could say she'd seen us kissing. I also am pretty sure that she had something to do with those jerks trying to crash my birthday party."

"Really?" Kim asked. "That's low."

"Yeah, tell us about it," Olivia said. "So we set her up and Alex and I pretended to fight so she could go complain about me to her. It took Abbie all of two seconds before she started making the moves on Alex. Serena and Casey were videotaping so we could have proof to show to Lexie. Once I'd had enough of her shit, I went up to Abbie and told her that she might as well give up because she's never going to get Alex and she's just jealous of what we have. It all led to a knockdown, drag out fight."

"If anyone is psycho, it's Abbie," Casey attested.

"Yikes," Kim replied. "She didn't tell me all this."

"Of course not," Serena said matter-of-factly. "She's Abbie. 'Liar' is her middle name."

"I just want her to leave us alone," Olivia said. "Did she tell you that in the short time she and Alex dated that she cheated on her?"

Kim's eyes widened. "No."

"How convenient," Alex said. "She paints herself as a victim yet neglects to tell you all the crap she's done."

"I wish she'd go back to Westminster," Serena stated, laying her head on Casey's shoulder. "If she gets bored with starting drama in Alex and Liv's lives, she'll probably come after us for the hell of it."

"Only if she wants her ass kicked again," Casey muttered.

"Well…if she's using your sexuality against you, don't let her dangle it over your heads any longer. Maybe it's time to sit down with your parents and just come clean," Kim suggested. She looked at Alex. "Besides, didn't you already say that your mom knows and supports you? I'm sure she'll be an indispensable ally in making your dad understand."

"I don't know…I didn't expect Mom to take it well but I always thought she'd be easier to talk to than Dad. He defended me when Mom insinuated that Liv and I were romantically involved before she knew for certain, but that was only because he genuinely believed me when I said we were just friends," Alex answered.

Olivia shook her head. "You don't know my mom. Every time she's brought it up, I've denied it, but she's already told me that she won't have 'a little dyke' living under her roof. It will be the start of World War III. If I all of a sudden just admit everything, she's going to hate me not only because I'm gay but because I lied to her face so many times. I'm already afraid to go home since Abbie emailed my mom those pics."

Kim slipped her shades on. "This all brings new meaning to the phrase, 'lesbian drama.'"

"I'll say," Alex murmured.

"You guys going to the bonfire tonight?" Kim asked.

Olivia looked at the rest of them and shrugged. Turning back to Kim, she said, "Sure. Sounds cool. We were gonna go jet skiing this afternoon, so that'll be a great way to end the day. You in?"

"Sure," Kim echoed. "Although I haven't been on one in years."

"Oh, there's nothing to it," Alex assured her with a wave of her hand.

"Yeah, if Alex can drive one, anyone can," Serena teased.

Alex threw some sand at her. "Shut it, Southerlyn."

"I'll have to pick out something sexy to wear to the bonfire," Olivia said.

Alex tapped her on the nose. "Anything you wear will be hella sexy."

Olivia smirked. "Even my birthday suit?"

Alex shoved her shoulder. "I didn't mean that sexy!"

"I wonder if there will be any cool music," Casey said.

"Probably some broody guy playing his guitar," Serena joked.

"I wish everyday were like this," Olivia mused, crossing her legs at her ankles. "There's always something so peaceful about the beach."

"Sans the crabs pinching your ass, right?" Alex teased.

Olivia untied the back of Alex's bikini top while Alex threw her arm across her chest to keep her breasts from falling out. "Liv!" Alex whined.

"Hey, you know that's a sensitive subject for me!" Olivia replied.

"Wait, what?" Casey wanted to know.

Grinning wickedly at Olivia, Alex explained, "When Liv was four years old, she was playing on the beach and a crab pinched one of her ass cheeks with its claw."

Casey, Serena, and Kim all started laughing. "So that would explain why Liv's in such a _crabby_ mood about it," Serena quipped.

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny," Olivia stated dryly.

"You're so easy to make fun of, Liv," Alex said through her giggles as she tied her bikini back.

Olivia narrowed her eyes at Alex and pretended to be angry. "Thanks for your support, Al."

Alex threw her arms around Olivia's neck and gave her a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek. "You know I adore you."

Olivia couldn't stop a grin from forming. "Promise to protect me from the big, bad crabs?"

"If they come within a 10-foot radius of you, I'll kick their asses!" Alex swore, pinching Olivia's nose.

"Good to know," Olivia responded, leaning in for a kiss.

* * *

Back at Cabot manor, Alex's father asked, "Have you heard from the girls?"

"Yes, they are doing fine," Madeline answered.

"Good, good," he replied. "Wilson Perry called me and asked if Alex would be interested in going to the prom with his son, Chase."

Madeline froze. She knew that there was no way that Alex would even remotely consider it. "What did you tell him?"

John shrugged and sat down in the armchair across from his wife. "I told him I'd run it by her. You don't think she's still seeing that Mike fellow somehow, is she?"

Madeline had to suppress a smirk. "I don't think she is. But at the same time, I also don't think it's a good idea to set our daughter up on dates."

John wrinkled his brow. "Oh? What caused you to have a sudden change of heart? You used to be all for it."

Madeline sighed. "I don't want to be so overbearing. Alex is 16 now and she's old enough to make her own decisions about who she wants to date."

John folded his hands over his stomach. "Still, I think Chase fancies Alex. I don't think it would hurt to bring it up."

"I probably wouldn't if I were you," Madeline said tersely. "It's only bound to upset her."

"So she _is_ dating someone," John stated, eyeing her intently. "Do you know who it is?" he asked pointedly.

Madeline busied herself with checking her email on her Blackberry. "Give me a second, John," she replied, trying to delay any further questioning. "I've been waiting on a response from a very important client and he finally got back to me."

After a few minutes, John picked up right where he'd left off. "She's not dating Olivia, is she?"

Madeline didn't want to lie to her husband, but she also didn't want to out her daughter and her girlfriend. "No, John."

John reflected over the times he'd thought that the girls were a little too close for comfort. He wasn't quite sure if he believed his wife's answer but decided to let it go for now. "Alright, then."

Madeline stood up. "Well, I need to get going. I have some errands to run before dinner." She gave her husband a quick kiss on the cheek and exited the room.

After he heard Madeline's car crank up, he called Wilson back and said, "I think we have a slight problem."

* * *

Alex got on the jet ski and Olivia climbed on behind her, wrapping her arms snugly around her waist. "This reminds me of when we went snowmobiling," she reminisced.

Alex smiled at the memory. "Yeah. We had so much fun up at the cabin." She inserted the engine shut off clip and then started the engine.

"I kinda feel like the Lone Ranger over here," Kim joked as she started hers, too.

Casey laughed. "Oh, don't feel bad! Just think of yourself as lucky for getting one all to yourself!"

"Ready to ride, babe?" Alex asked, giving her a confident smile over her shoulder.

"You bet!" Olivia replied.

Guiding the jet ski smoothly over the waves, Alex felt a rush of adrenaline pumping through her as the cool water sprayed over her and Olivia. Soaked strands of hair whipped around her face as the salty ocean breeze caressed her skin. Feeling bold, she upped the speed. She could feel Olivia's strong arms tighten around her.

"Sweetie, you're practically a pro!" Olivia shouted over the noise of the engine. She felt incredibly free and powerful in the huge expanse of the water. The scenery in the distance zipped past them, all the colors fusing together in one big blur.

Laughing, Alex shouted back, "Careful! I hear flattery adds ten pounds!"

Kim, Casey and Serena weren't too far from them. "Way to show off, Miss Cabot!" Serena yelled playfully.

Alex changed directions and commanded the jet ski effortlessly around the curve. The bright sun projected its rays over the water. Part of her wished she could just ride off into the sunset with Olivia and never look back. As she straightened up their path, they both screamed with exhilaration when the powerful watercraft bumped off the face of another wave and they went flying several feet before splashing down again.

After another 45 minutes, she led them back to the shore and cut the engine. "Wow!" Olivia exclaimed, getting off. "That was _phenomenal_!"

Alex grinned. "I couldn't agree more."

A couple minutes later, the rest of them pulled up beside them. "I totally could do this every single day!" Kim gushed.

"Oh, me, too!" Serena agreed. "I think I still have butterflies."

"From me or the water?" Casey asked, grinning and putting her arm around her waist.

Serena laughed. "Both, baby."

Olivia wrapped a towel around Alex's shoulders. "I can't remember the last time I felt so invigorated."

Alex gave a sly smile. "So last night doesn't ring any bells?"

Olivia grinned and waggled her eyebrows. "I dunno, sweetie. I may need a refresher course."

Alex drummed her fingers down Olivia's spine and smiled satisfactorily at the involuntary shiver her motions produced. "If you're good, you'll get just that."

Casey smirked. "Something tells me she'll still get it even if she's bad."

Serena and Kim laughed. "She'll possibly even get it harder if she's bad," Serena chipped in.

"I think she'll appreciate that more," Kim remarked, drying her hair.

Olivia shifted her eyes skyward and pondered, "Hmm…decisions, decisions!"

Alex shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Oh, you guys. So predictable. The only decision we need to be making right now is what to get for the bonfire."

"Ooh, corn on the cob is always good!" Kim suggested.

"And baked potatoes!" Serena added.

"Quick! We must hurry to the Tweety-mobile to gather our food and supplies!" Casey teased.

Everyone laughed but Alex. "You're lucky I'm not making you hitchhike home," she informed her as they started walking.

Casey pretended to be offended. "Aww, but then who would poke fun at you about Tweety?"

"That's a pleasure I could surely do without," Alex replied sarcastically.


End file.
